CISAC/JASRAC press conference calls for updated private copying systems to help authors

Fair remuneration from digital services, increasing private copying levies and promoting CISAC’s campaign in the Asia-Pacific region topped the agenda of a press conference held by CISAC and its Japan member society JASRAC in Tokyo on May 31st.

JASRAC President Asaishi Michio opened the conference and called for stepped up action by governments, digital platforms and device manufacturers to ensure fair remuneration of creators.  

Asaishi Michio, who has just been re-elected as one of the two Vice Chairs on the CISAC Board of Directors, said his appointment reflected JASRAC’S leading role in lobbying for stronger rights for authors both in Japan and the Asia-Pacific region. He said a priority issue for JASRAC today is to achieve better rewards for creators by updating Japan’s obsolete private copying system to the range of devices on which copies are made in the digital market.

He highlighted the decision by CISAC’s assembly to approve a resolution by its Regional Asia-Pacific Committee for “a new, functional, updated, modern and equitable private copying remuneration system in Japan”.

Japan’s current private copying law, last updated in 1998, is very limited in its scope, covering only recording equipment and media formats that are now largely obsolete.

CISAC President Jean-Michel Jarre pointed to the profound global implications of the European Union Copyright Directive adopted in April 2019. The directive, he said, strengthens the position of creators in their relations with digital platforms.  “The internet is still very young. The European Parliament adopted legislation which helps enter in a more adult world in creators’ relations with the internet.”  

Holding a smartphone up he said it was vital for to have recognition that it is creators and creative content who are the fuel of such devices. “This is our content and we need to get a bigger part of the digital cake”, said Jarre.

CISAC Director General Gadi Oron recommended that the private copying levy regime in Japan should be reviewed to meet the international level.  CISAC’s Global Collections Report showed that in 2018 global private copying collections totalled more than $500 million (€484 million). But this represents only around 4% of global collections. There is substantial potential for growth if private copying systems and legislation are improved across the world.

He supported JASRAC’s campaign to request for a new and working levy system under the digital era in Japan.  “To see just how little is collected in Japan, I don’t think we need any more evidence of the need to improve and update the system”, he said.