Google today came to an agreement with the JASRAC (Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers), Japan’s largest music copyright administration body to pay royalties for music protected by local copyright and used in YouTube videos.

YouTube members are now free to upload video clips containing JASRAC-protected music (the organization controls over 1.5 million pieces of music).

Japanese copyright holders are known for their rigidity in protecting their content. Google has been forced to “clear” YouTube of Japanese content several times in the past.

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