Explore Hiroshima! -A people's map of areas affected by the atomic bomb-

Broadcast programs and copyright

• Television programs are considered cinematographic works under the Japanese Copyright Act. For most NHK programs, NHK is the producer of the cinematographic work and holds the copyright.
  However, television programs are created in cooperation with a number of people. If an NHK-produced program is to be used for a purpose other than broadcast, not only is permission from NHK required, but permission must be obtained from the many people who participated in creation of the program such as the producers, scriptwriters, persons appearing in the program, etc.
  Additionally, the Japanese Copyright Act includes neighboring rights, which place various limitations on freely using broadcasts.
• Television allows for programs to be viewed by a large number of people. However, if a program is used for purposes other than just viewing, the circumstances of use have changed. If violations of the Japanese Copyright Act are committed, you may be subject to criminal charges.
  We at NHK, in order to protect the rights of the numerous copyright holders who have cooperated in the making of our programs, request that you use television in accordance with relevant laws.

Usage situations

• Personally recording programs at home (referred to as "reproduction" in the Japanese Copyright Act) in situations such as when you are not at home during the time a program is aired or you are watching a different program during the time a program is aired is permitted under the Japanese Copyright Act.
• Recording of programs by schoolteachers for use in classrooms is permitted. This applies to all programs, not just programs created for broadcast at schools.
• Use of personally recorded programs at company training meetings or school events requires the permission of the broadcast station and other related copyright holders.
  Some viewers may assume it is permissible to use videos they have previously recorded for personal use. Under the Japanese Copyright Act, however, these videos will be considered to have been recorded for the purpose of broadcast at a training meeting or broadcast at a school event, so caution is required.
• Translating, altering, or otherwise adapting the content of a program and using it for purposes that go beyond the scope of personal use also requires the permission of the copyright holders. Actions such as producing narrative comics based on program content and publishing them in small-scale specialty publications is not freely permissible.
• Selling or transferring possession of personally recorded programs through an Internet auction or magazine classified ad is a violation of the Japanese Copyright Act regardless of whether it is done for profit or not.
• Recording images or voices from a television or radio program to a personal computer and placing them on the Internet is an infringement of the "Right of reproduction" and the "Right to make transmittable (allow access from the Internet)" of the copyright holders and holders of neighboring rights.
  According to the Japanese Copyright Act, placing images or voices from a television or radio program on a personal website, regardless of whether it is done for profit or not, is not allowed without the permission of the copyright holders and holders of neighboring rights. The assumption that use of these materials on a personal website represents personal use is incorrect.
  Currently, NHK does not permit the placement of images or voices from television or radio programs on personal websites for various reasons including the lack of consensus among various copyright holders connected to programs and issues concerning image rights, etc.

Use of the NHK website

NHK is the copyright holder for all materials on the NHK website. Use caution concerning the following points.

• Concerning images and content from the NHK website:
  • Use on personal websites is prohibited.
  • Reproduction that goes beyond the scope of what is permissible under the Japanese Copyright Act is prohibited.
  • Use of reproduced materials outside of the intended purpose of the material is prohibited even with reproductions created within the scope of what is permissible under the Japanese Copyright Act.
  • Altering contents, etc. is prohibited even with reproductions created within the scope of what is permissible under the Japanese Copyright Act.
• Digital watermarking
  Digital watermarking is used on the NHK website in order to protect the rights of NHK and other copyright holders who have provided materials to NHK.

Association for the Promotion of Proper Distribution of Broadcast Contents

• The Association for the Promotion of Proper Distribution of Broadcast Contents created the "Television Program Copyright Hotline" website in order to allow NHK and commercial stations to respond quickly to unlawful distribution of broadcast contents such as pirated materials and to promote awareness of the copyright concept among the general population.