GAME by Perfume

According to ITMedia [J], Internet Watch [J], Asahi [J] and more coming, 11 songs of Perfume's album "Game" are found to be sold on iTunes store, which turned out to be unauthorized copy by unknown fake company.

Perfume is a popular Japanese girls techno unit broke through as a star from the internet, by blogs and huge number of unauthorized mash-up movie on NicoNico Douga.

As the label Tokuma Japan Communications did not sell other Perfume songs on iTunes for years though despite many fans' request, some fans have been talking why only those 11 songs (11 out of 12 songs on the "Game") are sold there.

The label of the seller on the iTunes Store was misspelled as "Tukuma Japan" instead of "Tokuma Japan".

Tokuma Japan announced that they never uploaded any Perfume songs on iTunes, and the next day (yesterday) they have been removed form iTunes store. Apple Japan PR said that they are investigating.

In this case, Perfume is well known on web and the misspell might made detection easier. But could it have been found if this was done with minor songs by unpopular artists more carefully?

By knowing forging a dummy company to sell pirated music on iTunes, concerns of music labels and copyright holders may grow in Japan. Apple Japan's explanation is being waited.

See Also:

A Perfume fan's site in English

Tags: Japan, News by Akky Akimoto
1 Comment »

Two of Japan's most authoritative newspapers, Asahi Shimbun and Nikkei Shimbun both put a very similar notes on their front editorial on January 29th, which made net users upset.

Both referred the statistical trend which had been announced by The National Police Agency. The number of homicides and homicide attempts in 2009 was 1,097, and that is the lowest record after the World War II, which is... definitely great news, isn't it?

Those two prestige newspapers have different thought on the news. Leading liberal newspaper Asahi's editorial said,

"Ironically, it is said to be possible that the Internet society weakening people's relationship is one of the reasons to lower the the homicides." [J]

Hmm. *Who* said that? On the same day Nikkei, quality business paper, you saw,

There is an expert who tells that people's relationship weakened recently reduces tiffs against others. The self-absorbed Internet society strengthens this tendency, some pointed. [J]

In Japan, traditional media take more confrontational attitude against the Internet, if you compare it with west. One reason is that their readers demographics is on older side, whilst the Internet is welcoming younger people.

The world-class (by number) gigantic newspapers are supported by those old generation who believe that those newspapers are the right information source. Any critics on the Internet is favoured to the majority of the readers who dislike the Internet.

See Also:

Interview of Journalist Toshinao Sasaki, who warns this divided generation and old/new media issue.

Tags: Japan, Trend by Akky Akimoto
1 Comment »