In 2014 Japan passed a new anti piracy law and had begun cracking down the whip on copyrighted materials and intellectual properties such as anime and manga from Japan. The Japanese government then commanded a lot of illegal streaming and hosting sites which has resulted in a lot of websites getting shut down. With the help and cooperation of fifteen major anime production … [Read more...] about Anime and Manga: What Pirating Is Doing to the Industry
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Kindle for PC Now Available in Japan
Amazon launched their Japanese e-Book store in 2012 and in order to read e-books, manga or comic books you basically needed to use the dedicated Kindle app for Android or iOS. Now users have another option, Kindle for PC has officially launched in Japan. The premise of Kindle for PC is to keep your content synchronized across multiple devices. It also allows for a ton of … [Read more...] about Kindle for PC Now Available in Japan
Copyright Law to be Amended in Japan to Combat e-Book Piracy
Japan is planning on augmenting their copyright law in early 2015 so publishers can actually go after e-Book pirates. This should assist the entire industry and hopefully speed up the rate in which e-Books are produced. The old copyright law just protected physical books from unlawful print and distribution by people who did not have the right to do so. This caused … [Read more...] about Copyright Law to be Amended in Japan to Combat e-Book Piracy
13 Japanese Companies Band Together to Challenge Amazon
Online retailer Rakuten have joined forces with a dozen other companies in Japan with the aim to sell ebooks from regular brick and mortar bookstores across the country. With this, they hope to bring about a higher degree of awareness among consumers in Japan about ebooks. Such a move, they believe, will also allow the traditional bookstores to remain relevant at a time when … [Read more...] about 13 Japanese Companies Band Together to Challenge Amazon
Japan Surpasses USA in App Spending
Japan has emerged at the top when it comes to app revenue, beating the US in the process. The achievement is sensational as just about a year ago, consumers in Japan were found to have spent 40 percent less than their US counterparts in app spending. The trend has since been reversed as Japan has beaten the US by spending 10 percent more on apps in October, revealed app tracker … [Read more...] about Japan Surpasses USA in App Spending
Rakuten, Aquafadas Provide Digital Services for Japanese Publishers
The e-commerce giant Rakuten and the digital publisher Aquafadas have joined forces to provide a suite of services for Japanese publishers who want to go from print to e-books. In a nutshell, the publisher provides the content, Aquafadas converts it to digital format, and Rakuten sells it. The partnership is part of the Aquafadas Global Partner Network Program, and one of the … [Read more...] about Rakuten, Aquafadas Provide Digital Services for Japanese Publishers
Japanese Publishers and eBook Retailers Protesting Consumption Tax Hike, Demand Foreign Vendors be Taxed Too
Publishers and distributors of e-books in Japan have voiced concern over the proposed hike in consumption tax from the current 5 percent to 8 percent by April 2014. However, while the taxation would apply to ebook publishers and distributors in Japan, the same when sourced from overseas vendors enjoy immunity from the tax net. As such, retailers such as Amazon or Rakuten’s … [Read more...] about Japanese Publishers and eBook Retailers Protesting Consumption Tax Hike, Demand Foreign Vendors be Taxed Too
Kisai Rorschach Smartwatch Uses Cryptic Inkblot Marking to Depict Time
Tokyoflash Japan is the newest entrant to the rapidly emerging smartwatch segment. However, the Kisai Rorschach smartwatch is unlike any other smartwatch currently available in the market. While the others in the game are busy wooing buyers with tech bits or the unique features that their smartwatch devices are capable of, the Kisai Rorschach stands out miles away from the rest … [Read more...] about Kisai Rorschach Smartwatch Uses Cryptic Inkblot Marking to Depict Time
eBooks Sales in Japan Still Lagging Behind Printed Books
Notwithstanding the rapid proliferation that ebooks have made among the reading community the world over, Japan has emerged as a slow adopter of the digital versions. Conventional books continue to be used among the majority of Japanese citizens, even though ebooks have made serious inroads in the market of late. eBook sales have shown a positive growth during the last few … [Read more...] about eBooks Sales in Japan Still Lagging Behind Printed Books
Pottermore Announces Expansion into Japan
The online interactive world of Harry Potter is reaching an entirely new audience, as Pottermore announced today the launch of the site in Japan. What is most interesting about that news is the fact that it took this long, considering that Japan is the largest market outside of the US for Harry Potter, beating out even the author's home base in the UK. In addition to the … [Read more...] about Pottermore Announces Expansion into Japan