Japan Considers Changing Its Copyright Law To Regulate Cosplay
Japan is considering changing its intellectual property laws so that professional cosplayers would have to pay a licensing fee to appear as copyrighted characters. The proposed regulation wouldn't affect those who dress up as their favorite characters just for fun, as it only applies to cosplayers earning money through cosplay.
The considered change would affect the professional cosplayers who profit from their work, such as from participation in promotional events, subscription or membership services such as Instagram or selling their costumes, Anime News Network reports.
Last year, top Japanese cosplayer Enako reported a yearly income of 50 million yen, which translates to roughly $480,000 USD. The 26-year-old cosplayer earned the money through cosplay and merchandise sales.
Following the reports, Enako shared her opinion on Twitter, saying that she hoped that "that the changes will not regulate social media posts and fan-made activities if they are not for profit."
Also, I haven’t heard anything about the ban on (cosplay photos being posted to) social media as was written in another article, so I’m anxious to find the truth.
I’m not really in a position to easily give a statement on the issue, but personally I hope that the changes will not regulate social media posts and fan-made activities if they are not for profit.
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AlexanderMugetsu
Japan; if you have enough time to consider profiting form cosplayers you have time to bring the birth-rate back up.
googolplexbyte
I'm surprised this isn't already a thing. You'd never get away with putting on a mickey mouse costume and performing a kids' parties without paying Disney their dues.
El Lugubre
If there is a company that copies the clothes and accessories of my characters to make costumes and merchandise, yes. I'd like what is owed to me for using my intellectual property
But regulating people who wear said costumes? That's going too far.
Even small creators who make costumes for others to cosplay should be too small or too unimportant to bring in copyright issues but whatever.
firngers
But I bet they won't do shit about harassment.
Red123
Once again, out of tough political boomers try to ruin something people love because they don't understand it.
Spider3660
don't worry in less than 30 years, all the people running Japan will be dead
TheStupidRaptor
I thought Japan didn't care about copyright laws. It's America that are fucking stooges about it.
Arn
I don't know the extent but they care a lot, that's why Nintendo do what they do. They have some footnotes towards doujins because that's how most manga authors start, as well as ComiKet and other cons being huge money, though I think it's all limited to the type of work as well.
IIRC, their copyright laws are very rigid. I remember KH couldn't be released digitally because Hikaru's manager(aka her dad) didn't like havign her stuff being released digitally.
TvTropesRuinedMyLife
You are thinking of China, not Japan. They are super pissy about copyrights
Timey16
Japan's copyright laws have always been EXTREMELY strict.
It's why their game journalism is even more of a joke than in the West: Companies will not just blacklist them for articles they don't like… but straight up sue them for copyright infringement for using images and video of their games.
Steve
"as it only applies to cosplayers earning money through cosplay"
until it doesnt
Corporations want every slice of the pie, they'll turn this onto anyone making money, then they'll use it on everyone else
Soxar
The way i see it they won't for the simple fact that taxing professional cosplayers will make them stop being professional cosplayers, because the whole profession hinges on the fact that they don't have to worry about legal stuff. The moment they do the current pro cosplayers will get less and less money until they stop being one (keep in mind that pro cosplayers actually spend lots of money to make their costumes and props and whatever, that stuff doesn't come out of thin air) and the not-yet-professional ones will never be able to become one either. Especially since it's not only about money, it's also about regulations, meaning certain companies will tell people they're not allowed to cosplay their characters in a certain way (for example, in a lewd way, meaning the like main reason most pro cosplayers exist in the first place is out of the window) in addition to also wanting money to let them do it.
So yes, they won't simply because this could just destroy the profession itself until the only cosplayers left are the ones making costumes out of old clothes and cardboard going to conventions, which can't really be taxed unless companies start sending ninjas checking on everyone walking around.
KoimanZX
It is nothing but rent seeking. The rights owners (and the wealthy in general) feel entitled to the value of other people's labor.