If you think sharing copyrighted content on digital platforms isn’t a serious case, wait till you read this. Japanese Youtuber Shinobu Yoshida was charged with copyright infringement for sharing videos of Steins;Gate’s gameplay and Spy x Family’s anime without permission from their copyright holders. This case is seen as a first in Japan and the world in general.
The Sendai District Court in Japan has sentenced the 53-year-old content creator to two years in prison with a five-year suspended sentence and a 1 million yen fine for violating the act that comes with the distribution of gameplay videos. The Content Overseas Distribution Agency (CODA) announced the arrest.
The agency revealed Yoshida uploaded a clip that featured the game’s ending without the consent of Nitroplus, which holds the rights to the franchise. To make matters worse, he has monetized the video and received ad revenue.
According to reports, the judge who oversaw the case was Koichi Nakamura. However, with his suspended sentence, Yoshida doesn’t have to serve his prison sentence if he doesn’t commit any crime for the next five years.
What are the videos Shinobu Yoshida posted?
Yoshida’s charge was based on the three videos he posted on YouTube between September 2019 and May 2022 without the necessary permissions. One of the clips contained spoilers for the ending of Steins;Gate: My Darling’s Embrace, while another featured an edited Spy x Family anime video.
According to CODA, these acts violated the copyright law and the guidelines. Aside from the titles, the suspect also uploaded fast content, which the agency describes as shortening or summarizing games, TV shows, or movies with narrations or captions for the viewers, along with spoilers detailing their endings and plot twists.
How was Shinobu Yoshida arrested?
As Yoshida has been uploading copyrighted content since 2019, the copyright holders complained, which prompted CODA to act. According to Miyagi Television Broadcasting, the man was tracked by a cyber patrol and quickly admitted to charges.
“I knew it was illegal, even as I was doing it,” he said.
Sure, gameplay videos and game commentaries have been gaining traction online. However, anyone who wants to do this has to get permission from the copyright holders to avoid a case like this.
