Other Four Arrested In Japan For Running Illicit Video Game Bars

Demon_Skeith

Demon_Skeith

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According to Mainichi, three of the suspects ran video game bars in Kyoto (Amusement Bar Colorful and Game Bar Clantz). The fourth one ran two in Kobe (Game Bar Fanati and Game Bar Equlit).

These bars were lending out games to customers without getting authorization from copyright holders like Nintendo and Capcom. Which in Japan as via the rules of the Japan’s Association of Copyright for Computer Software (ACCS) is illegal to do and can get a person arrested.
 
I don't really know how to feel about this. When I read "illicit" I felt like there would be some really shady stuff involved. You know, like illegal drugs, maybe some sort of money laundering or Yakuza involvement.

But lending out games without getting authorization from copyright holders? Now that's some truly despicable stuff [sarcasm].

I tried to read the article myself, but Google translate's Japanglish made it hard to understand. Were they literally lending out games for free, renting them, or just featuring them as entertainment in the bar itself? In any case, it's not such a big offense in my eyes, maybe deserves a fine at best.

It's just difficult for me to sympathize with companies who want to squeeze every last cent out of their assets. Isn't it enough that millions of people already pay for their titles? Some dudes just wanting to play video games while getting drunk at the bar is hardly going to make them go bankrupt.
 
Denis_P said:
I don't really know how to feel about this. When I read "illicit" I felt like there would be some really shady stuff involved. You know, like illegal drugs, maybe some sort of money laundering or Yakuza involvement.

But lending out games without getting authorization from copyright holders? Now that's some truly despicable stuff [sarcasm].

I tried to read the article myself, but Google translate's Japanglish made it hard to understand. Were they literally lending out games for free, renting them, or just featuring them as entertainment in the bar itself? In any case, it's not such a big offense in my eyes, maybe deserves a fine at best.

It's just difficult for me to sympathize with companies who want to squeeze every last cent out of their assets. Isn't it enough that millions of people already pay for their titles? Some dudes just wanting to play video games while getting drunk at the bar is hardly going to make them go bankrupt.
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Thing is though, they may have been asked to stop doing what they were doing and they didn't.
 
Denis_P said:
I tried to read the article myself, but Google translate's Japanglish made it hard to understand. Were they literally lending out games for free, renting them, or just featuring them as entertainment in the bar itself? In any case, it's not such a big offense in my eyes, maybe deserves a fine at best.
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To give you a bit of an insight on what a game bar is:
ゲームバー - Google Search

Basically, it's a building where customers can come in and play games on the spot.
Like an arcade hall, but with home consoles.
So it actually makes sense that licenses were required, considering it's a business where people are not buying the games for permanent use, but rather pay a small fee to for a session.
With license the bar owners had to provide a share to makers of these games, but without the whole profit is for themselves.
 
Demon_Skeith said:
Honestly I feel like in Japan lending my game out would land me in jail :p
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Nothing to worry about if you're doing it as being friends, though it's not like they'll accept it unless you're very close.
It only becomes a problem if you're doing as being a company.
And even then, a Game Bar is not a lending business.

Plus there are lots of places here in Tokyo alone where you can rent a game and return later, there's even a shop like that near where I live.
The only problem I have with that store is that the vending machines outside are practically unreachable due to the amount of parked bicycles there are most of the time.
 
テクニカル諏訪子 said:
So it actually makes sense that licenses were required, considering it's a business where people are not buying the games for permanent use, but rather pay a small fee to for a session.
Click to expand...

Ah, thank you! Okay that makes a lot more sense to me now. I can understand the licensing fee under such circumstances. The bar owners are prone to making a lot more money from the games after just putting down a one-time payment for the games themselves, so I can see how companies would consider this a real no-no. I was sort of under the impression that maybe it was just a bar that happened to have video games for people to pass the time, but if it's more like an arcade, then these guys totally got what was coming to them.
 
Every country has different Laws and rules. Japan is a strict country. Aside from it's high tech innovations. Japan also is the origin or home of a lot of Game Developers and Gaming Consoles. So there is no surprise if lending out games without the authorization of the holder is a big crime there.
 
Well,I can totally relate with the story because just want to feed off others sweat, then here in my country a lot of games centres are operated illegally without license and no payment of fees to the constituted authority. They lend video games for a fee and keep the whole profit to themselves.it really appalling.
 
If it were here in my country they would be doing their business in peace. It is not strict here unlike Japan because we don't have big gaming company names here. Even people who are pirating films, games, etc. aren't getting any consequences here.
 
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