Japanese YouTuber Arrested for Uploading Steins;Gate, Spy x Family Videos

[cm2]

Read from Siliconera:

Japanese YouTuber Shinobu Yoshida has been arrested and charged for uploading game clips and edited anime videos in Japan. He’s been sentenced to two years in prison and five years suspended sentence, as well as received a one million yen fine. This is the first time that the court found someone guilty of uploading gaming videos.

The video game videos that Yoshida got in trouble over are let’s play videos of Steins;Gate: My Darling’s Embrace. These videos contained spoilers for the whole game, as well as the ending. He also posted edited videos of the anime Spy x Family. Yoshida uploaded these videos onto YouTube and monetized them between September 2019 and May 2022. According to Yoshida, his “motive” for making the videos was that they are his hobby and he wanted someone to watch his work.

 

[Demon_Skeith]

You don't mess with the Spy X Family content.

 

[Dead2009]

Wait, so if youre a content creator and you're playing the game, you cant upload it to youtube in Japan? I can understand uploading tv shows and what not...

 

[Artisan Vistra]

Law is so much different over there when it comes to copyright and intellectual property. If they were from the US I think they would get away with it no problem.

 

[WildWorldGames]

Japan has SUPER archaic and almost draconian laws about copyright infringement and protection. Stuff like this happening is not uncommon to see in Japanese companies. Toei, the anime company known for producing One Piece and Dragon Ball, have been known to attempt to terminate almost whole entire Youtube Channels through cease & desists because of their copyrighted material, even if it's fair use.

YouTuber Hit With Ungodly Number Of Anime Copyright Strikes Gets A Win For Everyone

The Toei and Totally Not Mark fight sparked a new fair use rule on the video platform

kotaku.com

You also have to understand the inner mentality of some of these companies. I am NOT expecting anyone to sit down through both of these vids at the same time, but it gives good insight on how there can be 2 sides of the same coin in regards to fair use of a company's IP and how valuable it is to that company.

I don't agree with, nor defend, the way they go about enforcing their copyright law with ridiculous penalties for uploading footage of a FUCKING VIDEO GAME AND GETTING ARRESTED 2 YEARS FOR IT. But I do understand how this... very cruel behavior from companies that, for the most part isn't reflected in Japanese society, can come to fruition.

 

[Artisan Vistra]

I sure hope those taxpayers realize all this excessive enforcement.

 

[froggyboy604]

I feel going to prison for 2 years is too strict for an offender who is uploading game clips and edited anime videos in Japan.