Due to allegations of using artificial intelligence (AI) to colorize the 1954 black-and-white film 'Godzilla' and creating DVDs to sell, a 66-year-old man in Osaka, Japan, was arrested by police on the 17th.
According to Japan's 'Asahi Shimbun', the police arrested part-time worker suspect Ippei Miyamoto, residing in Toyonaka City, Osaka Prefecture, on suspicion of violating the Copyright Act. The suspect has confessed and stated that he completed the entire process of colorizing and selling the DVDs on his own using a computer.
The police revealed that the suspect sold an illegally copied DVD of 'Godzilla' to a man in Tokyo through a second-hand trading platform last November, infringing on the copyright of production company 'Toho.'
Although the original film is in black-and-white, the DVD was colorized, and the suspect admitted to using video conversion software equipped with AI functionality for the colorization.
On the suspect's operation website, the police also discovered that he had sold multiple classic black-and-white films, promoting them with phrases like 'turning silver screen classics into color.'
The police confirmed that the suspect sold similar DVDs under the guise of 'legitimate' on various second-hand platforms, priced between 3,000 yen (about 87 MYR) and 30,000 yen (about 878 MYR). From January last year to May this year, he reportedly profited approximately 1.7 million yen (49,758 MYR).
In January this year, the 'Tokyo Content Overseas Distribution Promotion Organization,' dedicated to combating piracy, provided a tip-off to the Osaka police. Subsequently, Toho Company officially filed a lawsuit in February.
The 1954 film 'Godzilla' is the first installment of the series. According to the Copyright Act, director Ishirō Honda, recognized as the 'author,' passed away in 1993.
The current law (enacted in 1971) stipulates that film copyright protection lasts '70 years after public release,' but for works like this film, released before the law's implementation, the older provision (enacted in 1899) of '38 years after the author's death' is preferred when the term is longer. Therefore, Osaka police have determined that the copyright protection period for 'Godzilla' will remain in effect until 2031.
Some netizens commented that even at 66 years old, the man could use AI to colorize black-and-white films, making many younger people feel inferior. While this man is undoubtedly talented, he used his skills in the wrong way.