Return-Path: itojun@itojun.org Delivery-Date: Fri Jul 9 13:30:47 2004 Return-Path: X-Original-To: itojun Delivered-To: itojun@itojun.org Received: by coconut.itojun.org (Postfix, from userid 1001) id ACF9A1C0BD; Fri, 9 Jul 2004 13:30:47 +0900 (JST) To: enquiries@wto.org Subject: Japanese copyright law encourages Japanese music industries to perform unfair trade practice X-Mailer: Cue version 0.8 (040629-1801/itojun) Mime-Version: 1.0 Cc: itojun@itojun.org Content-Type: Text/Plain; charset=us-ascii Message-Id: <20040709043047.ACF9A1C0BD@coconut.itojun.org> Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2004 13:30:47 +0900 (JST) From: itojun@itojun.org (Jun-ichiro itojun Hagino) X-Bogosity: No, tests=bogofilter, spamicity=0.500000, version=0.17.5 Dear sir/madam, this is Jun-ichiro Hagino, a computer enginner in Japan. Japanese music industry is perfoming unfair trade practice. They sell a CD for 3000JPY in Japan, and at the same time, they sell 2000JPY (or equivalent) in Taiwan, China, and Korea (from official publisher, not a piracy copy). It is very unfair/dishonest to Japanese people. Because of this, some people who is familiar with overseas shipping start importing and selling Japanese music CDs sold in TW/CN/KO by 2500JPY. To cover up this mess, japanese music industry made lobbying to Japanese government and parliament. As a result, Japanese copyright law was updated to ban any sales of imported CD/DVD/whatever. it is First of all, the original problem was caused by unfair trade practice by Japanese music industry. Those importers who sold CDs by 2500JPY is not to be blamed, it is Japanese music industry to be blamed. Moreover, the update to Japanese copyright law is totally wrong. Many people in Japan enjoys TW/CN/KO-origin CDs and DVDs (such as Korean singers' CD, Chinese directors' movie DVD). the update to the copyright law is made towards the wrong direction. if WTO could discuss this issue in your meetings and punish japanese government/parliament, it would be really helpful. if there is anything i can do about it (like providing more detailed description), i am happy to help. thank you very much. Jun-ichiro Hagino itojun@itojun.org