Shinobu Yoshida (吉田忍) , a 53-year-old popular YouTuber, is in the middle of a complicated legal process after being accused of violating copyright laws by uploading gameplay videos that ruined the STEINS;GATE experience . The content creator faces a possible sentence of two years in prison and an additional fine of 1 million yen (more than 7 thousand US dollars).
Yoshida's arrest took place in May, and he has recently acknowledged his accusation at trial. During the hearing, the prosecution demanded a two-year prison sentence, arguing that he "must be severely punished to prevent the continued deterioration of the content industry."
The origin of the accusation comes from three videos that the YouTuber uploaded from the visual novel ' STEINS;GATE: My Darling's Embrace ' without the permission of the copyright holders, in addition to other content that also violated copyrights. . According to the prosecution, malicious acts such as revealing the ending of a game are considered seriously detrimental to copyright holders, as they "decrease the willingness to buy" the game.
The prosecution is seeking a two-year prison sentence and a 1 million yen fine with the aim of “protecting the content industry,” while using this case as an example to deter others from committing similar crimes. On the other hand, the defense requested a suspended sentence (which only applies if he commits another crime in the future) arguing that the defendant had taken some measures that were outside the guidelines of the copyright holder, such as not including music from background in your videos.
The verdict is expected to be delivered on August 7, and until then, both the prosecution and the defense will continue to present their arguments in court. The situation has generated widespread attention in the content creator community in Japan and sparked a debate about the limits of copyright and freedom of expression on online platforms such as YouTube.
Source: Yaraon!
