PART Recent Trends and Developments in Government Policies in Education, Science and Culture
Chapter 8 Promotion of Culture
5 Policies Concerning the Japanese Language, Copyright and Religious Affairs
(2) Development of the Copyright System
The copyright system is aimed at specifying and protecting the
rights of authors of printed materials, performances, recordings, broadcast programs
etc., and at ensuring the legal and proper usage of these cultural products.
The system provides an important basis for the nation's creative cultural activities.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs is endeavoring to take legislative
action and other measures to update the copyright system on the basis of deliberations
by the Copyright Council. Regarding the issue of protecting copyright holders
(which has arisen from increase in private recordings, videotape recordings etc.),
in order to guarantee royalties for copyright holders the Council compiled and
published a report in December of 1991 which called for implementation of a Compensation
System. The Agency is planning to expedite legal measures to implement this system.
The Council also compiled policies for dealing with copyright issues requiring
immediate attention in March 1992. The Agency is acting on these suggestions,
for example, in relation to copyright problems arising from the development and
spread of multimedia and other new ways of using literary, musical and other
works, the Agency will request the Copyright Council and other related councils
or organizations to further examine these issues, taking into account international
trends; and carry out reforms within the copyright system one by one as conclusions
are reached in such councils or organizations.