Protip: Don't create a Web site offering over 1,000 DS games for illegal download unless you're really sure you won't get caught. Yoshiaki Asagiri wasn't so careful, and now a Kyoto District court has brought a most swift and brutal retribution down upon him.
For breaking Japanese copyright law, Asagiri has been sentenced to two years in prison, and has been slapped with two fines worth $21,000 and $75,000. The presiding judge said that what Asagiri did "tramples" over the efforts of those who made the games he was ripping off. Fair enough, but I never did work out how you're meant to pay off a massive fine if you're in prison.
What do you make of this ruling? Was the judge too harsh, or was this Asagiri's fault for robbing the DS library so blatantly?
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
9:00 AM on 08.03.2009
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YMMD DTOID.
Also, I wonder what Japanese prisons are like.
BUT - The other stories today about music sharers, sharing music on p2p systems for NO PROFIT and getting fines in the millions are fucking ridiculous. So i got a few hundred tracks, "you sir, on your own, have cost the industry MILLIONS in lost sales" - fuck off. They were never going to buy every Nirvana or greenday album, have probably bought them once in the past but have a scratched CD and want a digital copy, or just want to give them a free listen, not cost the industry a penny. Move with the fucking times - offer downloadable, free use (fuck off itunes) and reasonably priced (fuck off itunes) music and get rid of middleman industry fatcats and you'll be able to make a living as a music producer.
If the musicians saw more than 1% of what you want to charge me for a CD I woud go out and buy it, but that's not the case so I'm just going to fucking download it.
Uh, what was I saying? Fuck it...
I'd just watch the episode of The Simpsons when they went to Japan as a reference. They were absolutely right when I went to Australia and disparaged the boot.
Jail should be reserved for individuals who would pose a threat to society.
Deciding to upload pirated copies of a game != a threat to society.
Fine, however, is justified. Let him work that shit off and tear down his website. But jailing the guy, c'mon.
As we all know, video games are the most serious thing in the world. Rape, arson, murder, or rape are not nearly as violent crimes as downloading video games. Especially new ones. I for one welcome our new copyrighted Japanese ovelords.
Also, am I crazy or was Japan's whole economy based around infringing copyrigtht? And Yaoi.
Jail time was stupid. He's not a threat to society he's a pirate. There's quite a large difference.Although I could care less what happens to him. He probably went to jail to be some real criminal's cannon fodder.
@The-Excel
Downloading a couple of things isn't the end of the world but if she's pretty stealing any music, game or software she wants that's a problem. If she the kind of person who would care you could just tell her that she's pretty much killing all of her favourite artists, developers or whatever but if she isn't you could probably use articles like this to remind her piracy isn't going to get you caught. LARGE SCALE piracy is going to get you caught.
i really need to offer illegal ds games for a fee now!