Re: [dvd-discuss] Slightly OT - Japanese copyrights

[Jeremy Simmons <jsimmons(at)langc.tohoku.ac.jp>]

For an off topic thread this post seems to have gone right around the world.

Anyway, as far as subtitling works in Japan it appears to be governed by 
Article 27 of the Copyright Law of Japan, (if you want to see the whole thing 
then you might try 

http://www.cric.or.jp/cric_e/clj/clj.html

Article 27 reads

(Rights of translation, adaptation, etc.)
 Article 27.  The author shall have the exclusive rights to translate, 
arrange musically or transform, or dramatize, cinematize, or otherwise adapt 
his work.

So you would need the permission  of the author for any attempt to translate 
as a public service.

Jeremy Simmons