Anime News Network reports that Kasuhiro Maki from Kawasaki City was sentenced to one year and six months in prison, suspended for three years, for unauthorized uploading of Gundam and other popular anime with the Share file-sharing program. The Japanese authorities are getting tough on illegal file sharing, especially when it comes to anime. The first notable sentencing of someone using the Share program came earlier this month when Moriyoshi Inoha, a 41-year-old man, got the same 18 month sentence.

There are a few things notable about these cases. For one, these aren’t “kids”, as the popular impression of an anime filesharer is some teenager in his room. These were full-grown men with jobs. Secondly, the Share program has been criticized by those in the Japanese file-sharing community because of its security holes that allow the law enforcement agencies to track down uploaders.

I don’t know if this is the right kind of approach to take to curb the rampant anime filesharing and fansubbing problems the industry faces. I’ve written about Odex’s tough pursuit of bittorent file sharers earlier, and how much of a horrible reputation Odex has earned for themselves in the fan community because of it. I just think it’s ultimately bad business to prosecute people who in the end just want to enjoy your product. I think it’s better to eliminate/reduce the reasons for the rampant piracy (i.e. high DVD cost, limited availability, no ad supported free viewing options), and encourage and give incentives for legal consumption rather than seem like an authoritarian evil corporation ready to throw otherwise law-abiding citizens in jail. It hasn’t worked for the RIAA and record companies, and I don’t think it’s going to work too well here either. I can understand cease and desist letters and civil suits against sites, but you’ve got to be careful when you’re hurting your fans directly.

Read more about the recent arrests of Share users at Anime News Network

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