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Japanese Game Website Owner Arrested For Screenshot Scans

Posted by simoniker on from the the-scanners-have-won dept.

Thanks to 1UP for its news story reporting that the owner of popular Japanese videogame website Gameonline has been arrested for copyright violation regarding unauthorized screenshot scans, since "several hundred [screenshots available on the site] were allegedly found to have been taken from magazines and overseas game sites without the permission of the game publisher, a violation of Japanese copyright law." The story continues by explaining: "Gameonline, one of the most popular game sites in Japan until its sudden closure last month, was a for-profit site that made its money exclusively via advertising. The site's owner had received permission from several Japanese publishers to post screenshots from their games, but other companies, including SNK Playmore, Capcom, Square Enix, and Namco, allegedly found media from their games posted on the site without their permission, leading to today's arrest."

7 of 48 comments (clear)

  1. Seems pretty straightforward by Tezkah · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I mean, the companies didn't want their games being shown on that website, and the owner didn't comply. There has to be more to this story, because I doubt they'd have him arrested if they had not asked him to take the screens down before resorting to legal action. Then again, Japan has a much different culture and their copyright law seems more strictly enforced than the US. Any one have any experience with Japanese copyright law?

  2. Of course... by b00jah · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Because, damn, what kind of a game developer would want to have their game getting the attention of fans and possible customers? That would be stupid, wouldn't it.

  3. Screenshots are the artistic work of the player by aminorex · · Score: 2, Insightful

    It seems obvious to me that the person who created
    a screenshot is the person who performed the gameplay
    required to put the game into that configuration.

    Pissing on your customers is bad business, by the way.

    --
    -I like my women like I like my tea: green-
    1. Re:Screenshots are the artistic work of the player by mehu · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It's easy to miss this part:

      several hundred [screenshots] were allegedly found to have been taken from magazines and overseas game sites without the permission of the game publisher

      He wasn't just posting screenshots, he was taking other sites & companies' screenshots. Perhaps there wouldn't have been a problem if he'd made them all himself?

  4. I wonder... by Suhas · · Score: 2, Insightful

    why the spurt in tech related crackdown?

  5. My thoughts. by Grey+Ninja · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I think it's completely stupid that a game news site gets their panties in a twist when another game site takes a scan/picture of a game that neither of them owns, and uses it for whatever purpose.

    And likewise, I think it's equally stupid that artist who make pictures for Linux get upset when Linux developers use their pictures. I mean, it gets to a point where we should just keep our stuff to ourselves if we are THAT concerned about someone using it for something that you didn't intend.

    Yeah yeah, I know. Beating a dead horse, and being hopelessly idealistic. But I really do think that people need to just step back once in a while and take a good long thought if what they are doing is worth it, or if it's just plain pointless to even be thinking about it.

  6. Exclusive? by miTTio · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I would imagine that some of those images taken from magazines were exclusive. Everytime I go to a magazine stand there is some gaming magazine touting that they have exclusive images of game X. I don't think this is any different than if EGM scanned some images from a GamePro magazine and used it in print. Perhaps the magazines put some pressure on the companies to press charges.