Three individuals linked to several YouTube channels have been arrested by the police in Japan after they were found guilty of posting summaries and spoilers of movies on their respective channels. While that may sound excessive, the action was actually taken against them because they used actual footage from the movies to create a short 10-minute ‘fast movie’ that basically summarises the whole movie.
As reported by TechNadu, the copyright holders feel that these videos damage their revenue generation potential from the movies as many would just watch the summary videos instead of watching the films. Furthermore, the arrests also come amidst rising crackdowns by the Japanese authorities against these channels and videos that have been popping up every day on YouTube and other social media.
The arrests were made based on the latest amendments to Japan’s Copyright Act in 2021 but it is currently unclear what punishment awaits the perpetrators. Copyright violations are punishable with imprisonment in Japan but the severity of punishments under the latest amendment are yet to be seen.
Those behind the YouTube channels are also liable for compensation from the copyright holder which may demand monetary compensation for their losses.
What do you guys think of this crackdown by the Japanese police? Do you think a similar thing should be implemented in Malaysia too? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
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