Japan Convicts Online Film Trader

The Kyoto District Court has sentenced a file swapper to one year in prison for violation of Japan’s Copyright Law, signaling the first time a conviction has been made in the Asia Pacific region for the illegal distribution of films through the Internet. The sentence was announced Wednesday by the Motion Picture Assn. “The Kyoto conviction represents a judicial milestone not only in Japan but globally,” said Mike Ellis, MPA senior vp and regional director for Asia-Pacific. “It sends a message that illegally distributing copyrighted material via the Internet is not only illegal, but also that those doing so are not anonymous and will be caught. People need to understand that they are breaking the law and face serious consequences if they illegally swap movies online.”

Source: The Hollywood Reporter