Copyright Act

The author, copyright owner, owner of print rights, performer, or owner of neighboring rights, may file a claim against a person who is infringing or who is likely to infringe the moral rights of the author, the copyright, the print rights, the moral rights of the performer, or the neighboring rights, for the cessation or prevention of such infringement.

When filing the demand under the preceding paragraph, the author, copyright owner, owner of print rights, performer, or owner of neighboring rights may demand the destruction of objects that give rise to an act of infringement, objects made through an act of infringement, or machines or tools used solely for an act of infringement, or demand that any other measures necessary to effect the cessation or prevention of infringement be taken.

The following acts are deemed to constitute infringement of the moral rights of the author, the copyright, the print rights, the moral rights of the performer, or the neighboring rights:

the importation, for the purpose of distribution in Japan, of an object that is made through an act that, were the object to be made in Japan at the time of its import, would constitute infringement of the moral rights of the author, the copyright, the print rights, the moral rights of the performer, or the neighboring rights;

the distribution, possession for the purpose of distribution, offering for distribution, exportation in the course of trade, or possession for the purpose of exportation in the course of trade, of an object made through an act that infringes the moral rights of the author, the copyright, the print rights, or the neighboring rights (including an object imported as referred to in the preceding item), with knowledge of such infringement.

The use of a copy made through an act that infringes the copyright to a computer program work (including copies made by the owner of such copies pursuant to the provisions of Article 47-3, paragraph (1) as well as copies of a computer program work imported as referred to in the preceding paragraph, item (i) and copies made by the owner of such imported copies pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) of that Article) on a computer in the course of business is deemed to constitute an infringement of the copyright, but only if the person using such copy had knowledge of such infringement at the time that the person acquired the title to use the copy.

The following acts are deemed to constitute infringement of the moral rights of the author, the copyright, the moral rights of performers, or the neighboring rights to which the relevant rights management information pertains:

the act of intentionally adding false information as rights management information;

the act of intentionally removing or altering rights management information (except where this is found to be unavoidable in light of the purpose and manner of exploitation of the work or performance, etc., such as where it results from technical constraints accompanying the conversion of the method of recording or transmission);

the act of knowingly distributing, or importing or possessing for the purpose of distribution, a copy of a work or performance, etc. on which an act referred to in the preceding two items has been performed, or of knowingly transmitting to the public that work or performance, etc. or making it available for transmission.

With regard to the application of the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the right to receive the remuneration provided for in Article 94-2; Article 95-3, paragraph (3); and Article 97-3, paragraph (3) and the right to receive the secondary use fees provided for in Article 95, paragraph (1) and Article 97, paragraph (1) are deemed to be neighboring rights. In this case, in the preceding Article, the phrase "owner of neighboring rights" is deemed to be replaced with "owner of neighboring rights (including the owner of rights deemed to be neighboring rights pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (4) of the following Article)", and in paragraph (1) of the preceding Article, the phrase "neighboring rights" is deemed to be replaced with "neighboring rights (including the rights deemed to be neighboring rights pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (4) of the following Article)".

If the owner of a copyright or neighboring rights that personally publishes or allows another person to publish a commercial phonogram intended for distribution in Japan (hereinafter in this paragraph referred to as a "commercial phonogram for domestic distribution") personally publishes or allows another person to publish abroad a commercial phonogram that is the same as the commercial phonogram for domestic distribution but that is intended exclusively for distribution abroad (hereinafter in this paragraph referred to as a "commercial phonogram for foreign distribution"), the knowing importation of the commercial phonogram for foreign distribution for the purpose of distribution in Japan; the knowing distribution in Japan of the commercial phonogram for foreign distribution; or the knowing possession of the commercial phonogram for foreign distribution for the purpose of distribution in Japan, is only deemed to constitute an act that infringes the copyright or neighboring rights of the copyright owner or the owner of neighboring rights if the profits that these persons would foreseeably obtain through the publication of the commercial phonogram for domestic distribution are unreasonably adversely affected by the distribution in Japan of the commercial phonogram for foreign distribution; provided, however, that this does not apply with regard to the importation, distribution in Japan, or possession for the purpose of distribution in Japan, of a commercial phonogram for foreign distribution that is the same as a commercial phonogram for domestic distribution which has passed beyond the Cabinet-Order-specified period of not more than seven years counting from the day on which that phonogram is first published in Japan.

The exploitation of a work in a way that is prejudicial to the honor or reputation of the author is deemed to constitute an infringement of the moral rights of the author.

If, at the time a person is transferred the original or a copy of a work (excluding a copy of a cinematographic work (if the work is one that has been reproduced in a cinematographic work, this includes copies of the cinematographic work); the same applies hereinafter in this Article), a sound or visual recording of a performance, or a copy of a phonogram, the person does not know that the original or copy of the work, sound or visual recording of the performance, or copy of the phonogram does not fall under any of the items of Article 26-2, paragraph (2); Article 95-2, paragraph (3); or Article 97-2, paragraph (2), respectively, and is not negligent in having failed to learn this, such person's transfer of the original or copy of the work, the sound or visual recording of the performance, or the copy of the phonogram to the public is deemed not to constitute an infringement of the rights set forth in Article 26-2, paragraph (1); Article 95-2, paragraph (1); or Article 97-2, paragraph (1).

If a copyright owner, owner of print rights, or owner of neighboring rights (hereinafter in this paragraph referred to as the "copyright owner, etc.") claims compensation for damage incurred due to infringement, against a person that, intentionally or due to negligence, infringes the owner's copyright, print rights, or neighboring rights, and the infringer has transferred an object that was made through the relevant act of infringement or has made a public transmission (or has made the relevant work or performance available for transmission, if the object has been transmitted to the public via automatic public transmission) that constitutes an act of infringement, the amount calculated by multiplying the number of objects so transferred or the number of copies of the work or performance, etc. that have been made as a result of the public's receipt of that public transmission (hereinafter in this paragraph, copies so received are referred to as "copies transmitted and received" and the number of objects so transferred or of copies transmitted and received is referred to as the "number transferred, etc."), by the amount of profit per unit from objects (including copies transmitted and received) that the copyright owner, etc. could have sold if there had been no act of infringement, may be fixed as the amount of damage that the copyright owner, etc. has incurred, within the limits of an amount proportionate to the ability of the copyright owner, etc. to sell those objects or engage in other related acts; provided, however, that if there are circumstances due to which the copyright owner, etc. would have been unable to sell a number of objects equivalent to all or part of the number transferred, etc., an amount proportionate to the number of objects corresponding to such circumstances is deducted from the amount of damage thus calculated.

If a copyright owner, the owner of print rights, or the owner of neighboring rights claims compensation for damage incurred due to infringement, against a person that, intentionally or due to negligence, infringes the owner's copyright, print rights, or neighboring rights, and the infringer has made a profit from the act of infringement, the amount of that profit is presumed to be the amount of damage that the copyright owner, the owner of print rights, or the owner of neighboring rights has incurred.

The copyright owner, the owner of print rights, or owner of neighboring rights may fix the amount of damages incurred as being equivalent to the amount of money that the owner should have received in connection with the exercise of the copyright, print right or neighboring right, and may claim compensation therefor against a person that, intentionally or due to negligence, infringes the owner's copyright, print rights or neighboring rights.

The provisions of the preceding paragraph do not preclude any claim to compensation for damage in excess of the amount referred to therein. In such a case, the court may consider the absence of intent or gross negligence by the person that infringed the copyright, print rights, or neighboring rights, in fixing the amount of compensation for the damage.

In litigation involving infringement of the moral rights of an author, a copyright, print rights, the moral rights of a performer, or neighboring rights, if the adverse party denies the specific circumstances of the thing that is being asserted, by the author, copyright owner, owner of print rights, performer, or owner of neighboring rights, to constitute an act of infringement or to have been made through an act of infringement, the adverse party must clarify the specific circumstances of the adverse party's own actions; provided, however, that this does not apply if there are reasonable grounds for the adverse party not being able to clarify these.