table of contents
- Rules for the use of music in broadcasting
- Rules for the use of music in Internet distribution
- Reiwa 3 Revision of the Copyright Act – Facilitation of rights processing for simultaneous distribution
- Reiwa 5 Revision of the Copyright Act − Facilitation of rights processing even in the case of distribution only
- Future considerations
- Impact on practice
The question of what to do with the copyright rules of broadcasting and communications has been broadly positioned as one of the themes of the so-called “integration of broadcasting and communications.” In recent years, the distinction between TV broadcasting and Internet distribution has become increasingly blurred, with ABEMA (formerly known as Abema TV) and Amazon broadcasting the WBC and Qatar World Cup broadcast on the Internet, and NHK and commercial broadcasters starting to distribute on the Internet with NHK Plus and TVer.
However, under copyright law, there is a clear distinction between television broadcasting and Internet distribution, and while it is relatively easy to process music neighboring rights for the former, it is difficult for the latter. The three- and five-year revisions Reiwa the Copyright Act will review this point and make the use of music on the Internet, including simultaneous distribution, smoother than before.
