Tokyo District Court Condemns Nichiren Shoshu Temple Member Illegal conduct over Internet is an infringement of copyright

April 12, 2007, Tokyo, Japan: The Soka Gakkai brought suit for copyright infringement against Kazuo Kurokawa, a former leader (Koto) of the Hokkeko, a Nichiren Shoshu lay organization. Judge Ryuichi Shitara of Tokyo District Court ordered Kurokawa to pay 400,000 yen ($3345.00) to the Soka Gakkai as compensation.

Kurokawa was a former leader of the Los Angeles Temple. He used the name "Reina" in his operation of a website that slandered and defamed the Soka Gakkai. On Kurokawa's website, he published a photograph to which the Soka Gakkai has exclusive copyright.

During the trial, Kurokawa defended himself by saying that "the picture was copied from another website, so I don't have any responsibility."

However, the verdict confirmed that Kurokawa was indeed legally responsible when he copied the picture without checking to see who owns the copyright. The decision of the court also pointed out that he had used the picture against the intent of the owner, the Soka Gakkai. Kurokawa was ordered to pay 400,000 yen ($3345.00) as compensation for damage to the Soka Gakkai.

(Based on an article from the Seikyo Shimbun, dated April 20, 2007)