FAQ/How can I find the author or the copyright owner?

 

{FAQ} How can I find the author or the copyright owner?

Copyrighted works of others must not be used without proper authorization (permission) from the author or the current copyright owner**[1] except in cases where a certain copyright is limited under the Copyright Act or all copyrights to a work has been in the “public domain.” This is a general principle. So, in order to legally exploit a copyrighted work, those wishing to use such a work are required to obtain proper authorization (permission) from the authentic rights holder(s).

First, you should check a copyright notice on the work or, through the Internet, some records made public by the Agency for Cultural Affairs or organizations that undertake a task of managing the copyrights**[2]. After identifying the current copyright status, you will get in contact with the rights holder, the agent, etc.

 

**[1] Copyrights are assignable, so there is a possibility that the current copyright owner has changed from the author or the former rights holder.

 

**[2] The author or the copyright owner may have entrusted a task of managing the copyrights (giving the authorization to others) to an agent, a publisher, a movie maker, or “copyright management services” such as JASRAC.

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