Japan To Recognize Industrial Espionage

[Mulboyne]

Yomiuri: Industrial espionage targeted
The government has drawn up a law to clamp down on industrial espionage because of the ease with which industrial spies are able to obtain important technological information due to a lack of appropriate regulations. Such circumstances have led to Japan becoming known as a spies' paradise. As such, the law must be promptly improved, not least because leaked information could potentially threaten the nation's security. If someone steals secret information from a company, the act cannot be legally regulated under the current legal framework, because information is not regarded as protectable property under the Penal Code. While the Unfair Competition Prevention Law can regulate such acts, there are several problems with using this law, such as being required to specify to whom the stolen information is provided. As such, the law does not effectively control industrial spying. For example, in a case where a company employee copies confidential company information to media and devices provided by the firm--such as a floppy disk, a CD-ROM or a laptop computer--and removes such items from the company's premises, under the Penal Code, the employee currently is only punished for stealing or embezzling the actual item. As these items are very cheap, thieves often avoid arrest. If an individual copies data to his or her equipment, such a person can avoid arrest under the Penal Code completely...more...

One man who is happy that Japan did not have tougher industrial espionage laws is Takashi Okamoto. Prosecutors in the US alleged that Okamoto and colleague Hiroaki Serizawa stole genetic material related to research on a treatment for Alzheimer's disease from a Cleveland clinic. Okamoto was in Japan at the time and was detained by police pending an extradition request. He was later released because a judge ruled that Japan had no industrial espionage law so the extradition request could only be granted on a charge of theft and destruction of property. It was the first time an extradition request had been refused since the bilateral treaty came into force. Prosecutors has already cut a deal with Serizawa, who was only an accessory to the crime, on the assumption they would be able to try Okamoto. He received a fine, three years probation and was sentenced to 150 hours of community service. Not that you would know any of this from the Yomiuri article.

[Buraku]

FINALLY

After years of stealing technical shit from America and copying designs from Europe - the Japanese finally recognize industrial espionage. I remember that time when 2 Japanese scientists were caught stealing biological materials used for studies of Alzheimer's, the FBI was ready to lock them up - but they were quickly smuggled onto a ANA plane by JapanINC where they soon fled to Japan and have been living it up, protected by J-INC ever since - probably related to the Takashi Okamoto case or the same J-corporation trying to get their hands on biological material .

The question is WHY ? Why recognize Industrial theft and industrial Espionage now ? why after all these decades and decades of denial and sticking their heads in the sands ?

Because the Chinese and Koreans are starting to copy Japanese shit like a Japanophile monkey that escaped from a San Francisco Zoo
I have little sympathy for JapanINC, with China, Brazil, Korea, Russia etc pirating shit like no tomorrow the Japanese are finally getting a taste of their own medicine

[Samurai_Jerk]

I remember one of my Japanese corporate clients telling me that Toshiba (??) required its engineers to hand in their passports to stop them from flying to S. Korea on the weekends where they were getting paid big bucks to moonlight for the Korean chaebols. Anybody know if this is true?

[Buraku]

[amdg]

FINALLY

After years of stealing technical shit from America and copying designs from Europe - the Japanese finally recognize industrial espionage. I remember that time when 2 Japanese scientists were caught stealing biological materials used for studies of Alzheimer's, the FBI was ready to lock them up - but they were quickly smuggled onto a ANA plane by JapanINC where they soon fled to Japan and have been living it up, protected by J-INC ever since - probably related to the Takashi Okamoto case or the same J-corporation trying to get their hands on biological material .

The question is WHY ? Why recognize Industrial theft and industrial Espionage now ? why after all these decades and decades of denial and sticking their heads in the sands ?

Because the Chinese and Koreans are starting to copy Japanese shit like a Japanophile monkey that escaped from a San Francisco Zoo
I have little sympathy for JapanINC, with China, Brazil, Korea, Russia etc pirating shit like no tomorrow the Japanese are finally getting a taste of their own medicine

Same thing happens with copyright, as you will no doubt know. A country will not enforce it until the economic scales start to tip in favor of having it.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Chaebol Moonlighting is possible but the Toshiba name doesn't ring a bell.

I'm sure moonlighting at chaebols happens. I was wondering more if it were true that some Japanese companies took employees' passports to prevent it from happening.

[Blah Pete]

Damn, I could be out of a job if this becomes law:mad: