The anti-piracy measures progress towards the creation of a comprehensive package

■The anti-piracy measures progress towards the creation of a comprehensive package  

This was the fourth session of the anti-piracy conference. The use of blocking in the U.K. and Germany, constitutional and copyright-law issues, technical issues, as well as measures apart from blocking such as filtering were discussed.

Blocking in the U.K. operates through court orders based on copyright law. In Germany, blocking orders can be made by the supreme court. I have been told that the Munich district court has made judgments to acknowledge blocking requests. The previous session of the conference featured an intense back-and-forth on the ineffectiveness of blocking and the pros and cons of introducing this system; however, even so, courts in the U.K. and Germany have issued judgments that blocking can be done.

Professor Ueno of Waseda University summarized the issue by saying that although the argument that blocking could not be recognized in Japan was strong, there was a school of thought that said it could be recognized based on current laws as well, and it was possible that blocking would be ruled acceptable if a court were to rule on the issue.

Professor Shishido of Tokyo University queried the pros and cons of blocking from a constitutional perspective, and said that the review of the effectiveness of filtering was insufficient.

The point was made that apart from blocking, there are various other ways to stop access, such as education, filtering, search suppression, and domain cessation. There were also calls to accelerate the process of turning restrictions on leech sites into law, as well as to illegalize the download of illegally electronically published items.

The opinion was expressed that this matter involved an inquiry into the balance between circulation and protection in an information society, and that there was a need for a place as well as for procedures to solve this issue. I think as well that this issue represents the place where IT policy and intellectual-property policy butt heads, and is a touchstone to work out this area of policy, which will grow more and more moving forward.

Based on the discussions up to this point, I believe that although there are still things to delve deeper into, the key issues have been put on the table. I also think that it is consensus that we should create a comprehensive package of measures. What direction we will set this package up in is a matter of sharing wisdom.

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The discussion regarding anti-piracy measures reaches the core

■The discussion regarding anti-piracy measures reaches the core  

This was the third session of the conference to review anti-piracy measures.

The agenda was the circulation of legitimate versions and a review of the related measures up to that point, as well as measures by various foreign countries.

First, information on the status of existing measures was shared, such as police supervision, deletion requests, domain cessation requests, measures against advertisements, filtering, as well as education and awareness.

 It was reported that:

○As Mangamura and Anitube had been shut down, and measures to stop advertisements from being published had gone into full speed, the sales of legitimate versions were recovering

○People’s awareness of piracy had increased, and access to other piracy sites had significantly decreased as well

According to a survey by Dwango, 62% thought blocking access to these sites via legal measures was necessary, while 20% thought it was unnecessary. This result showed that a majority of netizens support blocking as well.

How should we process this?

According to a survey in 49 countries by JPNIC, which manages Internet resources, 71% had implemented blocking, of which 45% aimed it at copyright violations. This is more than the 37% that targeted pornography and the 33% that targeted crime and drugs.

A report was given by the Agency for Cultural Affairs on measures in the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, and Canada. All countries had legal measures that provided for the deletion of pirated content; Europe had blocking, while the U.S. and Canada did not. The U.S. had measures for domain seizure and bans on individuals connecting to the Internet, while the U.K, France, Germany, and Canada did not.

The situation is that the systems vary.

The temperature was 35 degrees, and the air-conditioner in the room had broken down, so the conference heated up.

There was a confrontation between the opinions that blocking was effective and that it was not effective. There was also a confrontation between opinions about the government’s emergency measures. Some had the view that the government should change its policies based on majority rule; however, this conference is not a legislative organ, and even if a majority could be obtained within it, it would have no effect. As a result, it was decided to listen to the knowledge of the committee members and record it in the minutes, and end the meeting there.

The discussion is becoming more and more intense.

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Measures against piracy sites - measures other than blocking

■Measures against piracy sites - measures other than blocking         

I will note down the situation of the anti-piracy conference.

 Manga was the central issue, but the market structure varied depending on content type and genre. In 2016, electronic means occupied 35% of the market share for manga, while for anime the market structure was 19% transmission and 4% video. For music, 8% of the market share was transmission, while live music rose to 24%. In this situation, the question of how to deal with electronic piracy is the main topic.

 We shared the situation regarding measures apart from blocking, such as efforts to circulate legitimate versions, requests and lawsuits for removal, competition with overseas parties, as well as measures regarding advertising.

Although critics have said that publishers have not made enough effort, I have the impression that the victims are trying hard.

The Publishing and Publicity Center, comprising nine publishing organizations, launched a piracy working group in March that created a mark to identify legitimate versions, as well as a whitelist. The various publishers are moving forward with deletion requests for pirated versions, requests to cease the publishing of advertisements, as well as coordination with the police.

This year, the deletion rate following site-deletion requests from CODA (the Content Overseas Distribution Association) was 91%. However, participants also described the situation regarding the sites that did not respond; although they were discussing the matter with the Chinese government or the Brazilian police, no progress was being made.

 Three advertising organizations are working with CODA on measures against illegal or inappropriate site content. However, as a large number of players operate in the Internet advertising market, and programmatic advertising is becoming more widespread, it is fairly difficult to create measures that are effective.

 It was also said that the publishing industry is preparing to launch campaigns based on popular characters in order to educate middle and high school students. Collaboration with Google or LINE is moving forward too.

 As initiatives in the domains of music and film were moving ahead through the conference, I felt the importance of rolling out strategies in publishing too, using music and film as a reference. Initiatives regarding legitimate versions are important too, and it is also important that public education should move forward in sync with the Internet measures targeted at youth by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. What we need is a comprehensive package that includes all of these things.

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The start of the conference on anti-piracy measures

The start of the conference on anti-piracy measures             

When the government’s conference on measures against piracy sites began, I was joint chairman.

The government decided on emergency measures; while explaining the blocking as a form of “emergency evacuation”, it did not request implementation from ISPs. This gave rise to criticism and led to a lively discussion.

After this, the situation changed, and designated sites such as Mangamura became almost unviewable. The situation settled down for the time being, and is now in a stalemate.

In the government’s measures, the top goal was for the government to send a message.

Measures against piracy sites had been discussed by the intellectual property committee for over two years. Each ministry had taken measures against leech sites and ads, and blocking was the topic that remained.

The harm caused by piracy had radically worsened, and there were calls to take action. If the government had not taken steps, it would have faced criticisms of inaction.

The government accepted this, and the plan was agreed on by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the Ministry of Justice, as well as the National Police Agency, with the main goal of demonstrating the government’s stance on the issue.

The content of the agreement was the legal interpretation of the measures as “emergency evacuation”, as well as the legislative policy moving forward.

The government made it clear that it had taken measures that it could demonstrate as the government, and was not making demands of or giving instructions to society. In my opinion, the stop there was made well.

Around the same time as this decision and message, actions apart from blocking also became widespread, such as search blocks as well as the cessation of advertisements for these sites. Following this, the three problematic sites became almost unviewable. This was probably influenced by the government’s decision as well. As a result, the situation has subsided, and the measures to “stop the bleeding” have worked for the time being.

There have been many criticisms of the measures, but what should the government have done? I do not know a correct answer that would have been better than this decision. I think that without this decision, the piracy sites would probably still be around today, and citizens’ awareness of the issue would not be as high as it is now.

What is more important is the next action, and the review of the legislative system, etc., in the countermeasure conference. From that point on, it’s the real deal. But two months were needed after the government’s decision before the conference could start. I am also saying that the selection of members for this conference was difficult for the government as well.

I think the following three points are in question.

1. Putting legitimate versions in place

　How can content creators, such as in the manga world, create attractive platforms that are like Mangamura? The music and film industries have put effort into constructing a business model for the Internet age, but the reaction of the publishing world has been slow. I think this is important to examine before discussing the legislative system.

２. Evaluating the current situation and deciding on measures

　We can recognize that the current situation has changed as the three sites have become unviewable or have weakened.

　Moreover, I would like to consolidate the measures we can and should take based on current laws - such as measures against advertising, deletion requests, criminal proceedings, demands for injunctions, filtering, etc.

3. The legal system

　Apart from blocking, is it necessary and possible to set up other legal measures? If we do this, which law will we use to handle it, such as the Copyright Act or the Telecommunications Business Act? How can we handle measures against leech sites or the illegalization of the downloads of illegal still images?

How can the government integrate its IT and intellectual-property policies? Almost all policies governing content are currently related to IT policy. The problem we are now facing is a key issue regarding coordination - namely of the questions of the protection of copyright and of the privacy of communications. Cases like this will continue moving forward, and this problem is a touchstone for them.

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Why am I creating iU?

Why am I creating iU?       

　The shortage of ICT talent has been complained about for over 30 years, but today there are cries of a lack of AI and IoT talent. Japan arrived late to ICT, and cannot afford to repeat the same mistake when it comes to AI and IoT. The fact that an organization is necessary that provides top-class talent does not require an explanation.

　Nonetheless, the establishment of iU is the establishment of a huge venture organization, and is challenging and full of risks. Why am I creating this by myself, and even discarding the position I have had until now to do so?

　That is because this is also the culmination of everything I have done up to this point. 

　I currently have the titles of a scholar or a teacher, but as I have not been putting effort into scholarship or education, these are misleading designations, and I have been calling myself a “policy person”. This is a coined term, and among terms that are used in society, “social entrepreneur” is the closest. After creating songs in a band, creating bills and policies in government office, and then shifting to university, I have started over 20 social enterprises.

　I have started public-service corporations and projects in the field of “Tech and Pop”. CiP, which creates a “Tech & Pop Special Zone”, is all of these multiplied together. iU is another project to create a place for Tech and Pop, and is linked together with civil projects such as CiP.

　On the other hand, ICT and education are also my life’s work. In the domain of early childhood education, I have established organizations ranging from the MIT Okawa Center to NPO CANVAS, while I have promoted elementary, middle, and high school education in schools through DiTT. In the field of graduate-school research education, I have also taken part in the establishment of KMD, which is oriented towards projects done through industry-academia collaboration. Four-year universities are a missing piece for me, and this project is also meant to fill that gap.

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The iU Manifesto

The iU Manifesto 

　iU is a new university that specializes in ICT. We are moving forward with a plan that did not previously exist in the world.

　There are things we have decided to do, and things we have decided to accept the challenge of attempting. I will list these things as our manifesto.

１．To be actualized

　There are five things we will actualize.

1) A thorough education with ICT, business, and English

2) A pre-business university: internships for all students through collaboration with ICT businesses, as well as real projects

3) Faculty comprising talented personnel who have been active in the industry

4) A focus on online education and active learning

5) A campus in the Tokyo metropolitan area linked to the international airport (Sumita + Takeshiba)

２. Challenges

　There are five things we would like to actualize.

1) A global hub of wisdom

　We aim to be a hub university where wisdom from around the world is accumulated and circulated. We will have 200 visiting lecturers who are prominent figures and top-class doctorate holders and businesspeople in the country and the world.

2) Having all students enter a company

　We have set up iCorporation, which all students will be able to enter. Faculty and students will put business into practice through collaboration with industry.

3) Having all students start a business

　We will prepare an environment where all students can start businesses during their studies. We will provide all students with one chance to use startup capital for this purpose, as well as with credits. It is okay if they fail - after all, they are students. Of course, they will aim to exit with success.

4) Special educational zone

　We aim to turn our Sumida ward campus into a campus special educational zone. As the Takeshiba satellite is already recognized as a National Strategic Special Zone, we would like to make a linked application.

　We are considering measures such as royalty-free educational content, relaxing the requirements for the enrolment and employment of overseas students, as well as corporate tax exemptions for businesses started on campus.

5) Global campus passport

　We hope to strengthen our collaboration with top-class universities around the world, and aim to achieve the compatibility of credits as well as the creation of a linked passport that allows for the use of overseas university campuses.

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The characteristics of iU, the ICT university

　In April 2020, in Tokyo, I set up iU and became the university president.

  　http://www.i-u.ac.jp/

　I will organize its characteåristics below.

１　A foundation of ICT education

　The Japan Electronics College, which is run by the parent organization the Electronics Academy, has built a foundation in ICT education, which provides the warp of our university - such as programming and data processing - for close to 70 years. It has the trust and the track record of having turned out 110,000 people into the industry.

２　Platform

　Apart from collaborating with ICT-related consortiums such as the CiP convention, we will join hands with many businesses and carry out hands-on project-based education with the weft of industry. We will invite over 200 pros as visiting professors, including frontline managers.

３　A university where you can earn income yourself

　While setting up a virtual learning environment where students can learn anywhere and at any time, we will also prepare infrastructure such as a framework that combines the virtual and the real, where all students can train their skills in a real on-site environment as interns, as well as an English-centered lesson environment. In addition, we will prepare an environment for students to earn income. We have also set up “iCorporation”, which all students will join, and all students will be able to start their own businesses. We will also work with funds to prepare an environment where all students can found businesses.

４　Test bed

　We will make good use of the CiP National Strategic Special Zone. Based on the CiP scheme in Takeshiba in the Tokyo Bay Area, in which ICT and digital businesses as well as domestic and foreign universities and research institutions such as Stanford University are participating, various regulations will be relaxed, such as those on radio waves, IoT, robots, and starting businesses. The core of this is a plan to carry out experiments and verification based on industry-academia collaboration. Our campus in Sumida ward is also aiming for designation as a special educational zone.

　This is a challenge. We hope you will join us.

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I have started iU, an ICT university

　I have decided to create an ICT university.

　It will be based on ICT and use industry-academia collaboration to nurture talented people who will innovate.

　I will be the university president.

　It is known as iUniversity, or iU for short.

　http://www.i-u.ac.jp/

　Using ICT as a base, this university will nurture talented people who will innovate. I will place the warp of ICT and the weft of creativity on the support of education, and use a project-based method to nurture talent based on collaboration with industry.

　ICT is the warp.

　We will drill into the information society - programming, data processing, etc. - that forms the foundation of the third Industrial Revolution, as well as IoT, AI, security, big data, blockchains, and other topics that form the foundation of the fourth Industrial Revolution.

　People with this knowledge can flourish in places beyond the ICT industry. Content creation, media, finance, manufacturing, retail, logistics, tourism, education, healthcare, agriculture - ICT is the heart of all the industries. It keeps the blood flowing.

　The weft is a professional liberal arts education.

　While keeping ICT - i.e. tech - as the base, we will nurture innovators with creativity and design skills. They will have management and policy knowledge, a fusion of the arts and sciences that makes them an immediate asset.

　Through collaboration with industry, all students will be able to build up these horizontal and vertical abilities as interns in a project-based manner. This is a pre-business university, as well as an OJT university that offers many internships and projects for students. Although it is a university, it will set up businesses and will allow all students to be employed there during their studies, taking on the challenge of the arrangement of “constantly learning while on-site at a business”. I would also like to prepare an environment where all students will be able to start a business during their studies.

　For this purpose, I will be collaborating with related businesses, starting with those in the ICT industry. I am already collaborating with 200 companies in the telecommunications, ICT, manufacturing, broadcast, and content industries, such as NTT, Cisco, and SAP.

　80% of the faculty do not have an academic background, but rather a background in industry. Pros with a track record in society will be teaching.

　Because it is an ICT university, all lessons can be held online. Students will be able to learn no matter where they are. The university will be on the cutting edge of the flipped classroom and adaptive learning. We will arrange virtual lectures by celebrated professors, researchers, and experts from around the world. It will be a learning environment that combines the virtual and the real.

　We will enhance our lessons with English, and enable our students to do business in English. We will not be teaching English, but letting our students learn in English.

　We will make good use of the National Strategic Special Zones. Our campus has been built in Sumida ward in Tokyo, near the Skytree. We will set up a satellite in the Takeshiba CiP in Tokyo, the Pop & Tech Special Zone. We will open here as well in 2020, as a community of digital businesses, international organizations, as well as university organizations such as Keio or Stanford.

　 “Enjoy change, learn by yourself, and create innovation.” This is our educational principle. AI and robots mean that half of all jobs will be lost. New jobs that have never existed before will be created. What the generations from now on need to be equipped with is the recognition that unpredictable changes will continue to happen, and the skill of being ready to happily get through these changes.

　The “i” in iU is the I in “information”, “innovation”, and “intelligence”, as well as the “I” that means “me”, and the “ai” that means “love” (in Japanese). I will create a university with I.

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