Gov't says 'Don't buy that legal J-Pop CD'

[Taro Toporific]

Bill eyed to stop CD reimports
(Yomiuri / Jan 20) - - - A recent report from the Education, Science and Technology Ministry called for measures to prevent recorded Japanese music packaged in other Asian nations from being sold in the domestic market at lower prices. ...the same CD priced at 2,500 yen to 3,000 yen in Japan may be sold for the equivalent of 1,200 yen to 1,600 yen in Hong Kong, Taiwan or South Korea. ...
... it is essential for the government to clearly explain what benefits the measures against exports will bring for consumers...

[Caustic Saint]

Bill eyed to stop CD reimports
(Yomiuri / Jan 20) - - -
... it is essential for the government to clearly explain what benefits the measures against exports will bring for consumers...

Ummmm....there aren't any? Fixing the price at an aburdly high level in one territory while selling far below that in another is nothing more than greed. And if the gov't bans the reimporting of CDs from other markets, it becomes corporate welfare.

God bless America! ...oh wait... Gee, I guess we're not so different after all!

[American Oyaji]

Japanese CD industry is stagnant. I wonder why.

In a global economy, people SEE and KNOW what other people are paying for CDs. Also they travel.

They come to the U.S. and pay 12 to 15 dollars for a CD. and go home and have to pay 20 to 30 dollars. Say What? I'd download J-pop too if I was there.

these prices from Korea, China and Taiwan are just NORMAL.

Japanese are dumb sometimes.

[Caustic Saint]

these prices from Korea, China and Taiwan are just NORMAL.

Actually, Korea's even cheaper than the US. Most new CDs go for about $10 here. The most I've paid for a CD here was 14,000won (about $11.75), and that's only if I shop at the little mom-n-pop music store in my area. (Smaller area, only one music shop, prices are about 2,000won higher.)

Even so, I've got no real love for CDs anymore. I just rip them to MP3 the day I buy them and they sit on a shelf until I move. I'd buy all my music from the iTunes Music Store - if they'd friggin' carry what I wanted.

HELLO?!? "Lost in Translation" soundtrack, anyone?

[Taro Toporific]

[
HELLO?!? "Lost in Translation" soundtrack, anyone?

All persons at the "Lost in Translation" private showing receive a free "Lost in Translation" soundtrack. :P

[Jack]

Taro,

Those two chicks are really cute.

I never understood why Japanese CDs are so expensive. Often I buy the overseas versions here at half or one-third the price of the Japan version, also sold in Canada. When I saw the price difference I asked the store clerk who would buy the more expensive Japanese version, I was told that Hong Kong people like the Japanese version even though it is more expensive.

[Gestalt]

What I really like about that article is it's deep, insightful anlysis of the underlying issues..

The problem stems from price gaps between CDs produced domestically and overseas.

Well, duh!!!

[Mulboyne]

Taro's original post was the Yomiuri Shimbun article saying:

A recent report from the Education, Science and Technology Ministry called for measures to prevent recorded Japanese music packaged in other Asian nations from being sold in the domestic market at lower prices

It is quiet clear that the target here is just parallel imports of J-pop. BUT I've read a few Japanese web sites where they seem (I can't claim to read Japanese well) worried that the intent of the bill is being expanded to outlaw parallel imports of non J-Pop. One poster in the forums is even worried that customs will have the right to seize and confiscate CD imports.

The main Japanese campaign site is HERE

I can't believe that this proposal can be anything like as serious as the campaigners are making out. It may even have been floated simply so the original plan, banning J-pop imports, can be reatreated to as a "compromise" when, of course, it represents a major restraint of trade.

But, I've seen nothing written about this in the general press and wondered if anyone else out there was any better enlightened...

[devicenull]

1,200 yen in taiwan? lol, try about 50...

[kamome]

Rob, have you always had a thing for new-halfs?

[Mulboyne]

God dammit, I want a response to my post about the ban on imported CDs but if it takes a picture of new-halfs to keep the topic fresh, then so be it:

[Mulboyne]

[devicenull]

Rob, have you always had a thing for new-halfs?

Right you are kamome-san! In addition to that, its plainly obvious that I'm also a 'pedophile':

[img]http://robpongi.com/pics/RobLittleGirl.jpg[/img
and not only that, but I'm also 'into' animals:

[img]http://robpongi.com/pics/naturestill.jpg[/img

No seriously:

"I'm not gay, I'm not bi, hell I'm not even straight! What I really am is a lesbian trapped inside a man's body!" - Rob Pongi

Stay tuned!

then this is the bike for you!

[Socratesabroad]