Tokyo Court Rules Movie Spoiler Articles Infringe Copyright

Apr 16, 2026 | News On Japan

TOKYO - A man accused of violating copyright law by publishing so-called spoiler articles summarizing films on the internet was handed a suspended prison sentence after the Tokyo District Court ruled that the posts infringed copyright.

Wataru Takeuchi, 39, head of a company operating websites, was charged with publishing online plot summaries of films including 'Godzilla Minus One' and infringing the copyrights of movie distributors and other rights holders.

Takeuchi had pleaded not guilty. In its ruling on Thursday, however, the Tokyo District Court found that his articles violated copyright protections.

The court said the conduct deprived copyright holders of legitimate opportunities to receive compensation and could undermine revenue models as well as the development of culture.

Takeuchi was sentenced to one year and six months in prison, suspended for four years, and fined 1 million yen.

Source: TBS

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