Japanese File Sharing System Creator Arrested For Copyright Violation
from the silly-laws dept
For all the complaints we have about bad laws in the US, at least (so far) we've been able to keep from declaring file sharing software (on its own) illegal. That's not the case in Japan, where the creator of a supposedly anonymous file sharing system has been arrested for "abetting the violation of the Copyright Law." Apparently, the fact that such software has plenty of legitimate uses as well doesn't matter. Shouldn't they also be arresting the creators of just about any other technology that can be used to break the law? In this case, they say it made sense because they have evidence that two people used his file sharing program to download illegal files. I think there's plenty of evidence that computers have been used in crimes. They should be arresting everyone who created computers. Plus the internet is full of criminals these days - so the folks who started the internet clearly to be thrown in jail. Just think how many crimes have been committed by people in cars! A pen can be used for both forgeries and to stab someone. Someone ought to be locked up for that. The list is endless. Clearly, no technology at all should be created and anyone who created any technology deserves to be in jail.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Al Gore
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Devil's Advocate...
I can understand a need in a country like China or some place where it's important to maintain anonymity to avoid those late night door knockings, but in Japan?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
No Subject Given
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Must understand the culture
If this man had been allowed to continue sharing files, men in sunglasses would probably have killed his family or burned down his home, and the police (who are afraid of the mob) would have refused to investigate. The law did him a favor by saving him from certain death.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]