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Society
Jun 18, 2025 23:48 (JST)
Osaka, June 18 (Jiji Press)–Police in Osaka Prefecture, western Japan, have arrested a 66-year-old man for alleged copyright infringement by selling a colorized copy of the first “Godzilla” film without permission.
Ippei Miyamoto, a part-time worker in the Osaka city of Toyonaka, has admitted to the allegation, according to investigative sources.
Miyamoto is suspected of selling a DVD copy of the 1954 film, copyrighted by Toho Co., for 2,980 yen in mid-November last year.
According to police sources, he allegedly used image conversion software to colorize old black-and-white films and created pirated DVDs, which he sold on flea market websites and his own website.
While the copyright protection period for films is currently 70 years after release, Japan’s former copyright law, replaced in 1971, set the period at 38 years after the creator’s death.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
Jiji Press
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