A number of wedding halls in Japan are prohibiting the use of internet-downloaded songs, despite of it is legitimately purchased for wedding party events. Japan has considered it beyond the private used of the music as well as violating the Copyright Law.
Japanese wedding halls will only allowed music played in CDs, not music from online distribution services, according to News on Japan. Customers who legitimately purchased and downloaded the song from the internet music site is also not also allowed.
A wedding hall staff told one woman during her friend's party to purchase a CD instead of using the said downloaded song. She said it is not fair and complains the songs are now distributed through the internet. "Although I purchased it, like a CD, I was told using it at my friend's wedding party would be in violation of copyright. I can't agree with that," she said.
Despite of it, the wedding hall has a legitimate reason to refuse from not allowing her to use the song she purchased. According to the Japan News, the Copyright law stated that "copying and playing music and other media without permission of copyright holders is prohibited, except for private use."
Officials from the Cultural Affairs also explained, legally private means, "the use of a copyrighted item among four to five people with an intimate relationship similar to that of a family." Using internet downloaded music at wedding parties is also considered beyond the line of the said restrictions.
The Bridal Institutional Association, which is a union group for hotels and wedding halls were also requested by the Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (JASRAC) and the Recording Industry Association of Japan to not allowed internet downloaded music to be played at wedding parties without permission. Copying right will be given if the user was given permission by the music creator and the record company.
