Business in Local Authorities and Copyright

    Local authorities, viz. prefectures and municipalities, are now facing a rapidly expanding range of business related to information because of the advent of the information-oriented society. The nature of such business also varies and the local authorities should sometimes act as a supplier of information, sometimes as a user of information, and sometimes as a provider of information-related services for the people.

    Information often takes the form of a work of authorship as any information should be expressed, taking the form of text, sound, picture, movie, drawing, software and so on in order to be communicated and/or recorded. Also for the local authorities, it is usually needed, with a view to supplying, exploiting or having the people use any information, to create a work expressing the information.

    Prefectures and municipalities also have the function to develop educational and cultural activities, in which works of authorship play crucial roles.

    Along with the development of information technologies and their influences over the whole society, the business of the local authorities to create, exploit and have the people use works of authorship seems to be expanding continuously.

    This way, prefectures and municipalities have a deep relation with works of author ship as well as the copyright system to protect them, and therefore, it is crucial for those working in the local authorities to have appropriate knowledge of the Copyright Law.

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