Andre Yoskowitz
19 Sep 2009 15:00
Currently in Japan there are hundreds of websites that allow for Japanese mobile phone users to download free music, right to their phones, and quickly, depending on the speed of their data networks.
The RIAJ (Recording Industry Association of Japan) wants to put an end to that however and is currently in talks with the Japanese cell phone carriers for a large operation that will shut down the free music sites, or turn them into pay sites, while also taking more control of the mobile handset industry.
The Yomiuri Online says that over 70 million songs are downloaded "legally" every year via mobile phones in Japan, with another 400 million being downloaded from unauthorized sources.
The new operation will work as follows: When a song is downloaded, it is first checked by the mobile phone operator and if it is from a legal source, it is fine. If they are not, users will receive a note that tells them they are "killing the Japanese music industry," and should stop doing so immediately.
Akihabara brings up a good point however when they note that Japanese legal sources are a complete ripoff. The average sell price is 300 Yen per song from legit mobile download servers, an equivalent of just under $3 USD. In America we complain about $1 USD.