Japanese App Store Under Fire For Offering Pirated Books By Famous Authors

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Apple is under fire in Japan today after a group of the nation’s top publishers have claimed that Apple is approving apps for sale on the App Store when they violate the copyrights of many famous Japanese authors.

The condemnation comes by way of press releaseissued by The Japan Book Publishers Association, the Japan Magazine Publishers Association, The Electronic Book Publishers Association of Japan, and Digital Comic Association, who claim that work by Japanese authors like Haruki Marakami and Keigo Higashino are being illegally distributed on the App Store.

The consortium is willing to give Apple a chance, asking to meet with Apple Japan to discuss how to address the problem. That said, they find any excuse on Apple’s part that it can’t be expected to check copyright during the App Store review process to be “a wholly unconvincing explanation.”

In America, the DMCA would give Apple safe harbor in this regard as long as they pull violating apps when notified, but the DMCA doesn’t hold any water in Japan. We’ll have to see if a sit-down will settle this.

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