Current laws are restricted to unauthorised downloading of videos and music
Japan will aim to tighten its grip on copyrights after a government panel called on Friday for making it a criminal offence to download still images from manga, novels and other literary works without the permission of their copyright holders.
The panel’s final report to the Cultural Affairs Agency pointed to the need to crack down on piracy websites and urged the government to consider broadening the scope of punishable acts, currently restricted to unauthorised downloading of videos and music, to that of all copyrighted materials, including still images.
