Recently, director Kunihiko Ikuhara was accused by an anonymous woman of plagiarizing her work and asked to apologize. Ikuhara has denied the related charges and filed a lawsuit against the woman, with the court expected to deliver a verdict on December 13.
Famous author Reki Kawahara also reveals his own story. He said one person accused him of stealing her idea for brand publishing Sword Art Online. The author shared details through his official Twitter account, where he wrote:
“Some time ago, a person claiming to be the original author of Sword Art Online contacted me. That person was not upset, but just wondering why their work was published without permission. permission from that person. I felt extremely confused and didn’t know how to respond.
At that time, I thought that proving that I was the author/copyright holder of a work with objective facts was not easy. The Agency for Cultural Affairs has a copyright registration system, but this also does not prove that I am the copyright holder.
If someone sued me saying that Sword Art Online plagiarized, I could easily prove that I posted it on my personal page back in 2002, but it would take a lot of documents and effort to prove that the original was plagiarized. The work itself is original.
If there is a certificate like a patent… but if such a system is established, it will likely be abused. However, these problems are likely to increase rather than decrease in the future, so I would like to see steps taken to reduce the danger for creators, even just a little.”
It is alarming when an author in Japan or anywhere in the world is accused of plagiarism. Plagiarism is a serious charge that can damage an author’s reputation and career, as well as have legal implications. The arson case at the Kyoto Animation studio in 2019 that was allegedly linked to allegations of plagiarism was a tragedy, highlighting the extremely serious consequences that can arise from such allegations.
Plagiarism not only affects the accused author but also the entire industry, eroding the integrity and belief in the creativity and originality of the work. It is important to deal with allegations of plagiarism fairly and appropriately, investigate complaints objectively and take appropriate action if evidence of plagiarism is found.
The creative industry, including the animation and literary industries in Japan, should strive to promote originality and copyright protection, and provide support and resources for ethics education. Virtue in content creation. Preventing plagiarism and properly handling allegations of plagiarism is essential to maintaining the integrity and health of the creative industry in Japan and around the world.