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PART Recent Trends and Developments in Government Policies in Education, Science and Culture

The copyright system is aimed at specifying and protecting the rights of authors of printed materials, performances, recordings, broadcast programs etc., and at ensuring the legal and proper usage of these cultural products. The system provides an important basis for the nation's creative cultural activities.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs is endeavoring to take legislative action and other measures to update the copyright system on the basis of deliberations by the Copyright Council. Regarding the issue of protecting copyright holders (which has arisen from increase in private recordings, videotape recordings etc.), in order to guarantee royalties for copyright holders the Council compiled and published a report in December of 1991 which called for implementation of a Compensation System. The Agency is planning to expedite legal measures to implement this system. The Council also compiled policies for dealing with copyright issues requiring immediate attention in March 1992. The Agency is acting on these suggestions, for example, in relation to copyright problems arising from the development and spread of multimedia and other new ways of using literary, musical and other works, the Agency will request the Copyright Council and other related councils or organizations to further examine these issues, taking into account international trends; and carry out reforms within the copyright system one by one as conclusions are reached in such councils or organizations.