IP & SMEs: Taking your ideas to market

Hiroyuki Nomura President at IPI Co., LTD

After graduation from university, despite joining a trading company, I have always been fond of films and had a desire for a job related to films, and joined the Japan federation against copyright theft, MPAA engaging in anti-piracy video measures. While devoting myself to anti-piracy measures, I closely learned about copyright. Film has been a content of broadcasting and films which ordinary people could not have dealt with at home. However, since late 70’s, everyone was able to watch their favorite films at home due to the prevalence of domestic use VTR and VHS/β tapes, a huge technological innovation in the film making industry. On the one hand, abundance of illegal copied pirated videos emerged as a social issue. While the officials put effort in expelling the pirated films, unauthorized screening of pirated films and commercial videos in places not acknowledged by film companies attracted attention. Films were illegally screened on buses and hotels, with dozens of rooms to those of hundreds, via public address system.

Realizing that while there is a demand for films in such fields and facilities, copyright could not be protected only by eliminating pirated copies due to lack of measures to officially provide films there, and that the act of piracy will not be eliminated without establishing a legitimate distribution route and market, I have suggested MPA members to establish official channels and thought of corporatization in order to develop marketing channels on my own.

We provide and distribute commercial/Non-Theatrical films to hotels, buses, screenings, internet cafes, children’s play areas and libraries. Although these fields do not hold significant share in film company sales such as theaters, broadcasting and personal distribution, there is a certain demand and will bring in revenue once delivery system is organized.
Ways of providing has changed from VHS/βtapes, now gone off the market, to DVD/Blu-ray, regular broadcasting, CS/BS broadcasting and distribution, transiting from analog to digital along with the technological innovation in the film industry. Our service is protected by Copyright Act 26 which legitimates rights exclusive to cinematographic works and distribution rights to distribute that work in copies. In the film industry, it is important to manage so-called WINDOW, deciding when to approve the use of films according to categories and ways of providing.
In other words, when and how to release films - the same title could be released in theaters, DVD/Blu-ray, online, in the workplace, pay TV, free-to-air TV at different times and raise revenues. A unique product. These are also protected by Right of screen presentation Article 22-2 in Copyright Act.
It may be a small market in that sense, however, from the perspective of copyright protection, our B to B to C market business is a market we continue to value in the future,

Hiroyuki Nomura President at IPI Co., LTD

Joined Japan federation against copyright theft, MPAA in 1986, Established IPI Co., LTD in 1992, dealing with commercial film software, now also investing in films and is engaged in the film making while dealing with commercial film software and managing DVD/CD distributor for libraries and music related publisher.