REDWOOD CITY, CA, December 17, 2012 – As most counties move towards stricter anti-piracy laws, Japan made headlines when the bill revising its copyright law to add criminal penalties for downloading copyright material or backing up content from a DVD was passed by the nation’s legislature and took effect in October this year.
The new law has quickly led to several arrests, the latest of which involved a police sergeant in Fukushima prefecture last week after he was caught using a digital camera to record an anime movie while it was playing in a theater. It was found out that he had recorded the movie in three separate locations, each in a different theater. He claimed it was for personal use, but the new copyright law also prohibits the use of hidden recording devices in theatres and adds severe fines, including prison time, to illegally downloading content from the internet.
A Promising New Landscape for Content
This is the new landscape that provides hope and confidence to legitimate content owners and distributors like ABS-CBN TFC (The Filipino Channel) Japan. Just recently, TFC Japan held a community luncheon with local Filipino community leaders, media and business partners. TFC Japan Managing Director Enrique Olives led his team in welcoming the community movers and shakers and the speakers led by no less than ABS-CBN Corporation President, CEO and Chief Content Officer Charo Santos-Concio, with ABS-CBN Global COO Raffy L. Lopez and Chief Marketing Officer Jojo Ines.
During the luncheon, also graced by Philippine Ambassador to Japan Manuel M. Lopez and wife Teresa, Olives narrated the story of TFC and its 360-degree effort to serve the Filipinos worldwide. This includes accompanying the journey of the Filipinos in Japan by connecting them to the homeland through original Filipino news and entertainment content made available on various platforms like satellite, Video On Demand and most recently, top-notch online video and audio streaming via TFC.tv, Star Studio Celebrity Magazine on print, community events like Gawad Geny Lopez Jr. Bayaning Pilipino Awards, major live concerts with TFC talents, support for Filipino talents based in Japan, and assistance in emergency or calamity relief efforts in cooperation with the Philippine Embassy.
“We have an office here that provides employment as it serves the community it is in. We are grateful that the new anti-piracy laws in Japan recognize the ‘sensurround’ value of the business that we bring and the empowering impact of the content that we deliver to our target audience,” says Olives.
“There are naysayers who said that piracy is an unwinnable war,” narrates Lopez. “But we believed that piracy should be treated like a disease that needs to be eliminated. You always start effective disease prevention through mass information. People need to know what the disease is and what it does. And you need partners who share the same faith in the cause. We found one in OMB Chairman Ronnie Ricketts.”
“Bawal Kumopya”
TFC ventured into a global education and awareness campaign, in cooperation with the Philippine Optical Media Board (OMB) led by the tireless and fearless Chairman Ronnie Ricketts. He had in his resume – among others – the ultimate raid of Manila’s notorious Quiapo district. Shocking many, he ended its years of reign as the country’s number one piracy hub. He also ended piracy of films being shown in the annual Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), leading to increased box-office revenues for the festival. Ricketts joined the cast of the phenomenal TFC teleserye, “Walang Hanggan”, for the first-ever global anti-piracy public service announcement campaign called, “Bawal Kumopya” – literally, “Copying is Prohibited”.
The “Bawal Kumopya” campaign has completed its roll-out in regions where TFC has offices: U.S., Canada, Middle East, Europe, Australia, Asia-Pacific and Japan.
“We are most thankful that the Filipino community here in Japan – its leaders, media members, and business movers – all came here to show their support for ABS-CBN TFC and OMB’s global anti-piracy campaign,” said Santos-Concio. “We appreciate that they recognize and value the efforts that so many people in this industry put into producing and delivering quality Filipino news and entertainment content all over the world. With them, we shall continue to be vigilant in this crusade.”
