A trial in which 13 companies, including major movie companies, sought compensation for damages to two people who were found guilty of violating the copyright law by publishing illegal videos "fast movies" that edited movies to about 10 minutes on the Internet The Tokyo District Court handed down a judgment ordering a total of 500 million yen in compensation as requested.
A man and a woman in their 20s are using the footage of the movie without permission, adding subtitles and narration, editing it to about 10 minutes and revealing the story. As a result, last year, he was caught for the first time nationwide and was found guilty of violating the copyright law.
54 domestic works such as "Shin Godzilla" have been edited without permission and released on the video posting site "YouTube", and 13 companies, including major movie companies Toho and Nikkatsu, are seeking compensation totaling 500 million yen. I was.
In the judgment on the 17th, Chief Judge Masaki Sugiura of the Tokyo District Court said, "The rental price of a movie work on YouTube is not less than 400 yen. Considering that it was edited so that the contents can be grasped, it is reasonable to set the amount of damage to 200 yen per reproduction.
After that, he pointed out that the total amount of damage would be more than 2 billion yen when multiplying the number of plays for each work, and ordered a total of 500 million yen in compensation as requested.
This is the first time a judicial ruling has been presented regarding the amount of damages caused by a 'fast movie'.
The number of "fast movies" has increased rapidly since the spring of the year before, and the damage has expanded due to the demand for stay-at-home due to the corona sickness and the need to know the contents of the work in a short time.
Representative director of an industry group "A great deterrent against copyright infringement"
Takero Goto, representative director of the industry group "CODA = Content Overseas Distribution Promotion Organization", which is a member of the plaintiff's major movie companies, said at a press conference, "The ruling will be a great deterrent to copyright infringement, and the amount of damages will be one reproduction. The recognition of 200 yen per person will greatly contribute to future measures.
He also said, ``I think the people who saw the video felt lighthearted, but by watching the video, they help the advertising revenue of the copyright infringer. I need it," he complained.
According to the plaintiff's lawyer, he posted a video with the two people who were sentenced on the 17th, and has also filed a lawsuit against one of the people in his 40s who has been convicted, and continues to seek compensation. It means going.
In the background, changes in viewing styles centered on the younger generation
"Fast movie" has been posted since the spring of the year before.
According to CODA (Content Overseas Distribution Promotion Organization), as of June last year, at least 2,100 videos were posted from at least 55 accounts, and the total damage based on the cumulative number of views was 95.6 billion yen. estimated.
The background is the current viewing style centered on the younger generation.
In March last year, the marketing research company Cross Marketing conducted a survey of 1,100 men and women in their 20s to 60s. , I had the experience of watching movies in fast forward, so-called "double speed viewing".
Also, when asked about their awareness of "watching at double speed" with multiple answers,
▽ "I think the tempo is too fast and I can't understand the content well" was the most common at 27.7%, but
▽ "My favorite speed." 26.5% said,
"I can watch more videos efficiently because I can watch them in my free time" (22.7%).
Regarding the background to the rampant illegal fast movies, Toyoshi Inada, a writer who is familiar with the content business, said, ``In the last 10 years or so, fixed-price video distribution services have become popular, and the number of movies has increased, and the number of movies that are being talked about has increased. People today are busy with work and school life, and there is a growing tendency to focus on time performance in order to see more works in less time.”
He added, "I don't think fast movies are uncontroversially illegal and shouldn't be. However, it is true that there are adults and celebrities who casually say, 'I watch fast movies,' and they feel guilty." I feel that there are still many people who do not have it."
Decrease in submissions of Japanese works continues for overseas works
Regarding "fast movies", there was a series of movements to delete videos and close accounts after being caught by police authorities last year.
According to CODA, it has been confirmed that the number of accounts posting "fast movies" has temporarily decreased from 55 at its peak to 6.
However, as of this month, it has increased to 21, with over 700 videos posted.
Most of them are edited overseas movies and dramas, and although the number of Japanese works has decreased, it is said that overseas works are still being posted.
CODA has a growing sense of crisis about the current situation where the number of submissions, even for foreign films, does not disappear. I am planning to continue.