翻訳コラム

今週のビッグニュースはなんといっても、「音楽教育を守る会」がとうとうJASRACに対し、音楽教室からの使用料徴収の請求権がJASRACにはないことの確認訴訟を東京地裁に提出したことです。
音楽教育を守る会のウエブサイトの「訴状の概要」(https://music-growth.org/common/pdf/170620_1.pdf)によると、この訴訟の争点は、音楽教室での演奏が著作権法22条に定める「演奏」に当たるかどうかです。同会の主な主張は以下の通りです。

1. 音楽教室では、個人教授や少人数レッスンで先生や生徒が入れ替わらない密接な関係で行われる→公衆に対する演奏とはいえない、
2. 著作権法22条にいう演奏は、人々に感動を与える芸術的価値ある演奏である、ライブ、カラオケでの演奏はそれに当たるが、音楽教室では先生が教えるために演奏し、生徒は教わるために演奏する、練習のために曲の一部のみを繰り返し演奏することが多い→「聞かせるための演奏」とはいえない、つまり人々に感動を与えることを目的とした演奏ではないということです。

先生が教えるために弾いてみせる、生徒は上達するために弾いてみるのは、つまりあくまで教育目的で弾いているだけであり、著作権法でいう「聞かせるための演奏」ではないという主張です。
では発表会での演奏はどうでしょう。発表会もレッスンの一環になるのでしょうか。発表会では多くの人々が入場できることが多いし、先生の演奏もあります。発表会については新たに検討が必要になるでしょう。

参考資料:「音楽教育を守る会」ウエブサイト「訴状の概要」
(https://music-growth.org/common/pdf/170620_1.pdf)

Big news this week readers! On June 20th The “Organization for Protecting Music Education" finally announced on their website that a plaintiff consisting of their 249 member organizations filed a lawsuit against JASRAC via the Tokyo District Court. This lawsuit intends to confirm if JASRAC has the right to demand royalties for copyrighted works from music schools.
According to the “Summary of Complaint" from the Organization for Protecting Music Education's website,(https://music-growth.org/common/pdf/170620_1.pdf)the point of the lawsuit will be to ascertain whether music played in music schools can be categorized as a “performance" as is defined in article 22 of the copyright laws. The Plaintiff's main insistences are as follows:

1. Within music schools, private lessons as well as group lessons that consist of a few students are performed in a secluded place where the music is not done for the public.
2. The word “performance" that is defined in article 22 of the copyright laws means a musical performance with a certain artistic value that thrills people, such as a live performance or a karaoke performance. At music schools however, tutors perform music for instructing students, and students play music while being taught. Additionally, only one part of a song may be performed repeatedly during lessons, and this would not be defined as a “performance" intended for thrilling people.

They insist that tutors play music for educational purposes and that students play music to promote their skills, and this would not fall under a “performance played for listeners" as is in the copyright laws.
What about students' piano recitals presented by music schools? I wonder if such recitals could be defined as a lesson or not? Many people can listen to students' and tutors' performances at such recitals, so a call for a second evaluation may be in order.

Source: “Summary of Complaint" from the website of the Organization for Protecting Music Education
(https://music-growth.org/common/pdf/170620_1.pdf)