Illegal Downloaders in Japan Face Two Years in Prison - 0 views
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Anthony Dao on 02 Oct 12As of 2012, illegal pirating is a huge problem in the technological world. Everyone has illegally downloaded at least one file in their lifetime. Under a new law that is active as of October 1, Japanese internet users who illegally download files could face up to 2 years in prison, or a fine of up to 2 million yen($25 700). Even using applications such as Youtube, which stores video files on your computer, could be considered illegal and could land you a spot in jail. Downloading copyrighted material was illegal in Japan since 2012, but the penalties were not as serious as they are now. The law was passed by the Recording Industry Association, which cited a 2010 study, stating that illegal downloads in the country outnumber the legal ones ten to one. This could be a legal problem, since people are not purchasing the files. Instead, they are illegally downloading files, which is a form of stealing. The big question here is should the rest of the world adopt this idea?