Cloud Services in Japan – Development Policy and Copyright Issues

基於雲端運算技術之雲端系統，逐漸成為社會基礎設施，對雲端服務之關注焦點，從是否採用雲端服務，移到採用服務會實現的成果。最明顯的例子為巨量資料之活用。日本雲端服務業者之商機在於，在符合以安全性與費用抵消為基礎之風險管理觀點下，提供多樣服務，以及供應使用者在雲端服務採用時之需求，也就是新舊系統間銜接技術之需求，包括程式語言等的純粹技術以及對雲端系統適應化之手工業務。 國內雲端服務在進入多元化階段之同時，對該服務之基礎設施，即資料中心硬體功能之要求水準就上升。採用雲端服務除了引起跨業界之互補性協作體制之外，也會改變企業經營模式。因雲端聯繫到個人與各種通信與一般機器的關係，B2B型企業可以擴大到B2C型之同時，也會被迫轉變成B2C型企業。 雲端服務相關之著作權爭議為間接侵害。雲端服務已經累積一定程度的相關判決，判斷的方向漸漸明朗，但當服務業者帶著新服務上市的時候，該方向是否成為合法性判斷之基準，還是個未知數。其背景在於，定義私人使用之困難性、數據化技術為權利處理帶來成本效率的概念、以及在判決裡新服務對著作權權利人現存收益體制之影響不可忽視之現狀。 這意味著，中小與創新企業以新服務打進市場後，若無法達到產生社會與經濟上之一定影響，就不能成功使權利人開放部分權利，導致事業難以繼續。因此傾向於重視起業之雲端服務支援政策，反而應該重視事業支援與其繼續。 雲端服務業者可以採取之自保措施為，不是事後讓司法決定合法性，而是以跟著作物的價值符合之適當成本，實施技術上的保護措施而迴避侵害。目前在權利人之間對雲端服務之容許度逐漸上升，這是對創新者有希望的狀況。Cloud computing-based systems have grown into social infrastructures, and the focal issue of the cloud services has been moved from a need to adopt cloud services, to the results that would be achieved by cloud services. Big data exploitation is the notable example thereof. Cloud services in Japan would find business opportunities in: providing a wide variety of services that could suit well to the risk management concept based on trade-off between security and cost; and meeting the demand of service users in the adoption of a cloud service, that is, providing an intermediary between old and new systems, including technologies such as programming languages, and physical support for manual works that tailor the existing system to the cloud system. Cloud services in Japan are now in the process of diversification, and the demand level for the function of data centers, the key equipment of the services, is getting higher. Adoption of a cloud service causes complementary cooperation, and even changes an operating model of the user company: because the cloud system connects to individuals and various communication devices, B2B-type companies would have, or would be forced to have, a B2C-oriented mindset. In regard to cloud services and copyright, indirect infringement is under dispute. A certain amount of court decisions have been collected, and the viewpoint thereof has gradually been clear. However, when the service provider is about to release new services, it is still unclear whether or not the viewpoint serves as the criteria for legality of the new services. The reason is that: it is difficult to define private use; digital technology introduces cost-effectiveness in handling copyright; and in the court decision, the influence that the new services have upon right holders' existing revenue-generating systems seems to be non-negligible. This means that if the smaller or venture business launches new services and then fails to create a social or economic impact, it is impossible for them to make the right holders waive the partial right, and continue business. Therefore the government policies of cloud service support, which at present place an emphasis on start-up, should reinforce support for commercialization and business continuation. Thus the self-defensive measure necessary for cloud service providers is not to await a court ruling in an ex-post manner, but to treat copyrighted works in advance by technological protection measures whose cost is commensurate with the works' value. There is a fact that the acceptance level for cloud services is gradually rising among right holders, which shows a promising sign for the service providers