Gov’t to allow blocking of pirating websites

April 13, 2018

Tokyo- The Japanese government on Friday decided as an emergency measure to advise Internet service providers to block malicious pirating websites as part of efforts to enhance the protection of copyrights on manga and anime works.

The steps were decided at a meeting of the government's intellectual property strategy headquarters and relevant cabinet ministers. The government aims to submit a related bill to next year's regular session of the Diet, the country's parliament.

At the start of the meeting, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed concern about pirating websites, saying that they "could threaten the future of the content industry."

Pirating sites allow users to view manga, anime and other content free of charge.

The government said it is appropriate to block, for example, websites that post a lot of content clearly undermining the interests of rights holders. As such malicious websites, the government cited "Mangamura," "AniTube!" and "MioMio."

An official for intellectual property strategy promotion at the Cabinet Office said that the measure will make it easier for associations of rights holders to request Internet service providers to block pirating sites.

On the view that the measure is problematic in light of freedom of expression, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press conference Friday, "It's an emergency step that will be in place until a full-fledged law (to combat pirating websites) is established."

Participating ministers at Friday's meeting confirmed the need to prevent any abuse of the step and enact the law, he added.

At Friday's meeting, the government also decided to provide copyright education at schools and communities, and enhance efforts to cut off funding for copyright violators. Jiji Press