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| Aozora Bunko | |
|---|---|
| 青空文庫 | |
 | |
| Location | Japan |
| Type | Digital library |
| Established | 7 July 1997[1][2][3][4]  |
| Collection | |
| Size | Over 15,100 works (as of January 2019) |
| Criteria for collection | Japanese works inpublic domain or allowed by author |
| Other information | |
| Website | www |
Aozora Bunko (青空文庫,lit. 'Blue Sky Library', also known as the "Open Air Library") is aJapanesedigital library. This online collection encompasses several thousand works of Japanese-language fiction and non-fiction. These include out-of-copyright books or works that the authors wish to make freely available.
Since its inception in 1997, Aozora Bunko has been both the compiler and publisher of an evolving online catalog.[5] In 2006, Aozora Bunko began to take on a role as apublic policy advocate to protect its current and anticipated catalog of freely accessiblee-books.[6]
Aozora Bunko was created on the Internet in 1997 to provide broadly available, free access to Japanese literary works whose copyrights had expired. The driving force behind the project wasMichio Tomita (富田 倫生, 1952–2013), who was motivated by the belief that people with a common interest should cooperate with each other.[7]
InJapan, Aozora Bunko is considered similar toProject Gutenberg.[8] Most of the texts provided are works ofJapanese literature, and some translations ofEnglish literature. The resources are searchable by category, author, or title; and there is a considerable amount of support on how to use the database in the form of detailed explanations. The files can be downloaded inPDF format or viewed online inHTML format.[5]
After the passing of Michio Tomita in 2013, the Future of Books Fund (本の未来基金,hon no mirai kikin) was established independently to assist funding and operations for Aozora Bunko.[9]
Aozora Bunko currently includes more than 15,100 works as of 5 January 2019[update].[10]
Aozora Bunko joined with others in organizing to oppose changes to theJapanese copyright law. That opposition has led to encouraging Japanese citizens to submit letters and petitions to the JapaneseAgency for Cultural Affairs and to members of theJapanese Diet.[6]
Japan and other countries accepted the terms of theBerne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, an 1886 international agreement about common copyright policies. Aozora Bunko adopted an advocacy role in favor of continuing with thestatus quo, wherein laws do not go beyond the minimum copyright terms of the Berne Convention. These laws have copyrights that run for the lifetime of the author plus 50 years, which Aozora Bunko believes is preferable to changes proposed by a number of influential groups pushing for longer copyright terms.[6]
The evolution of Aozora Bunko from a digital library to a public policy advocacy organization was an unintended consequence that developed only after the perceived threat to the Aozora Bunko catalog and mission became otherwise unavoidable.[8]
Aozora Bunko pointed out that the extension of the copyright term had been influenced from the document titled "The U.S.–Japan Regulatory Reform and Competition Policy Initiative."[11] Through these annual reports, the US Government was requiring that the protected period of copyright should be extended to the Japanese government: 70 years after one's death for a work by an individual, and 95 years after publication for a work by a corporation. In response, the Agency for Cultural Affairs in Japan has expressed that a conclusion will be obtained at the Council for Cultural Affairs copyright subcommittee by the end of 2007. If the legal revision extending the protected period of copyright were actually carried out, Aozora Bunko would be forced to stop publishing books that had already been, or were about to be, released, due to the 20 years extension of the protection of copyright. Therefore, Aozora Bunko released a counter declaration against enforcement of the revised law on 1 January 2005, and they started to collect the signatures for a petition on 1 January 2007.[12]
Due to the regime change in Japan in 2009, the Japanese government stopped receiving these reports from the US government. Aozora Bunko did not respond to this, and their petition opposing the extension of the copyright term was discontinued after the October 2008 revision.[12][citation needed] Instead of the document, the website of theOffice of the United States Trade Representative inserted the "UNITED STATES–JAPAN ECONOMIC HARMONIZATION INITIATIVE" in February 2011.[13] In the document, the US government promoted the extension of copyright law for protection of intellectual property rights toward Japanese government so that it would be "in line with emerging global trends, including those of its OECD counterparts and major trading partners."
On 30 December 2018, Japan did extend the period to 70 years,[14] which was a requirement stemming from theEU–Japan Economic Partnership Agreement.[15]
1997年７月に青空文庫が生まれました。
{{cite web}}:Missing or empty|title= (help)青空文庫では、公式な"誕生日"を九七年七月七日としている。このメッセージを産声として、青空文庫が育っていったからだ。最初の五冊のエキスパンドブックも、登録日をこの七月七日とした。
「本を電子化して、誰でも読めるようにしておくと面白い」 そう考える者、数人が集まって、青空文庫は生まれました。「こんなことができないか？」と相談をはじめたのは、1997年の2月です。ほんの数タイトルを並べ、〈開館〉にこぎ着けたのは、この年の8月でした。
The term of protection for rights of an author of a literary or artistic work within the meaning of Article 2 of the Berne Convention shall run for the life of the author and for 70 years after the author's death
(in Japanese)| International | |
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| National | |