Japanese cyber cops are cracking down big time on individuals who are breaking copyright law. And if you break he law, you just might end up on prime time news.
Last fall, 27-year-old Makoto Sekiguchi uploaded pictures of unrevealed characters in Pokémon: Black and White to the internet via his mobile phone. The characters were slated to appear in CoroCoro Comic, but Sekiguchi was able to get them online before the comic’s September 15 street date.
In a deposition, Sekiguchi stated, “Thought I would show everyone the characters that haven’t been made public yet.” Kotaku previously reported on Sekiguchi’s case and how the “cyber cops” nabbed him.
On the today’s Fuji Network News, footage was broadcasted of the cyber cops in the process of arresting Sekiguchi. There was footage of the man’s messy apartment. The police even located a magazine with Pikachu on it (it wasn’t the CoroCoro Comic in question). The suspect was then hauled off. This was part of a piece on cyber crime and pirated software. This wasn’t pirated software per se, but taking photos of a magazine before it goes on sale.
Incidentally, this is something that happens on a weekly basis in Japan with game magazine Famitsu, which leaks online before it goes on sale. But if the evening news shows a man getting dragged away by the cops for taking photos of a manga before it goes on sale, you’ll see less and less of that.
If the police are going to arrest him for something, lock him away for his housekeeping. That room is a mess!
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