Don\u27t You Want to Watch Television Programs Aired in Your Country while You Are Abroad?

In Japan, the services that maintain the television reception and recording device for the overseas viewers to watch the aired television programs over the Internet were accused of as infringing the copyrights of the broadcasting companies. The judgments of the Supreme Court of Japan in copyright infringement suits against these services holding them liable significantly expanded the scope of right of reproduction and right of public transmission. These judgments are surely a blessing for copyright holders. But there is a legitimate question whether such expansion would contribute to the further development of the cyberspace and development of culture. This article explores the copyright infringement issues these services presented, traces the history of the suits and examines the implications of the judgments of the Supreme Court of Japan for the protection of copyright over the Internet