Play Meter

Lloyd stresses need
to stop copies
The General System Preferences
(GSP) Subcommittee met on June 24 in
Washington. D.C .. concerning the pref-
erential treatment given ceriain coun-
tries exporiing into the United States.
The major concern of the coin-
operated amusement industry is the
proli1eration of illegal copies of video
game boards being sent to the United
States from Korea under preferential
tariff treatment. With preferential
treatment. Korea can impori into the
United States at little cost.
Korea is a prime source o f counter-
feit boards and members of the coin-
op industry testified before the com-
mittee they want it to be stopped.
Bob Uoyd. president of Data East
and the American Amusement
Machine Association (AAMA). said
that there are no legal video game
manufacturers in Korea. so no game
boards should come from that country.
Lloyd noted that the Korean Traders
Association is anxious to work with
AAMA " They recognize that there is a
problem." said Uoyd. " There are some
legitimate manufacturers of other
electronics who would be penalized if
no electronic boards could be
exporied to the U.S. from Korea .
However. there is no way to distinquish
legitimate boards from illegal ones.
Our attitude is that if you can't tell. send
them all back."
Lloyd submitted a statement to the
committee in which he stated. "The
association has been forced to take an
aggressive position with respect to the
criminal prosecution of counterfeiters
of video games ... necessitated by the
growning in1lux of counterfeit games
into the U.S. and resultant economic
difficulties ... and the loss of over S400
million in industry sales to these
criminal counterfeiters ... "
Lloyd pointed out that industry
sources and the FBI have determined
that Korea is becoming the major
source of the counterfeit video game
boards. and the proliferation of these
boards has reached epidemic pro-
poriions. Uoyd continued to say that
the current economic trends have
reduced the industry's ability to
absord legitimate games. let alone
the in1lux of counterteits. Uoyd said. "It
is estimated that illegally counter-
feited games account for one half of
all video games currently in
operation."
Lloyd summed up that he sincerely
PLAY METER. September 1 5. 1985
hoped that the committee would work
with custo ms to thwari the invasion of
illegal copies and lift the preferential
treatment given Korea in imporiing
copied games.
•
Japan revises
copyright laws
The copyright law in Japan has
been pariially revised to include com-
puter programs as literary works
covered under the copyright laws. The
bill was established on June 7. 1985.
and will take effect in January 1986.
Masaya Nakamura. president of
Namco and chairman of the Japan
Amusement Machinery Manufac-
turers Association (JAMMA) spoke on
behalf of the industry at a May 30
House of Councilors meeting .
Nakamura said at that meeting.
" Although those engaged in amuse-
ment business have made strenuous
efforis to improve the copyright law.
contributing a great deal to improve-
ment of business. only the deed of bad
fellows has been stressed. and our
business has been subjected to strict
controls."
In Japan's current copyright law.
the copyrights of literary works are
protected both civilly and criminally.
However. computer programs have
not been included in these literary
works. As a result of litigation against
copiers by manufacturers of video
games. judgements have been
passed to the effect that. although not
specifically covered under copyright
law. computer programs are literary
works to be protected.
The new copyright law defined a
computer program and made it an
example of literary works. According
to Nakamura the move towards revi-
sion storied by several judgements
won by amusement game manufac-
turers. However. Nakamura said. " The
revison of the law has been
demanded for many years. finally
leading to the current decison to
revise it. Despite this. I'm dissatisfied
with the fact that there are exceptions.
I'm doubtful that due considerations
were given to the treatment of video
games which use a computer pro-
gram for CRT display."
His doubts stem from an issue
brought forih by the Ministry of Inter-
national Trade and Industry ( MIT!)
which claimed that once computer
programs are provided for as literary
works. not just the video game industry
but the computer industry as a whole.
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