The used books store chain, Bookoff, is offering to pay 100 million yen to the Copyright Network for Comic Authors in the 21st Century, the Japan Writers Association, and other creator’s associates. Even though the right to sell used books and other goods without paying additional fees to copyright holders is usually protected by the first sale doctrine, this action is to address the complaints from these organizations that used books sales are affecting new books sales. This is the first time that this sort of payment has ever been done and Bookoff and the associates are still deciding on what to call this sort of payment.

The Copyright Network group is one of the organizations that appeared in the “Stop! Fan-Subtitles” notice that appeared in the Tokyo Anime Festival 2008. For the news article on the notice please go here. Is this somehow connected to the efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan to combat anime piracy? It does not seem like it. However, I wonder why Bookoff has to pay these organizations for selling used books, and why only now is this happening. They do not seem to be breaking any copyright laws, and yet there are complaints that they are affecting new book sales and now there is an offer to pay a large sum of money. Will other used books stores have to do the same thing in the future? What is going on?

Source: Anime News Network