Koizumi moving to simplify Internet broadcast of television

Asahi: Government plans to simplify copyright issues to promote TV programs over the Internet

Under the current Copyright Law, broadcasters need only to pay fees to all copyright holders in a TV program, such as record companies and singers and other copyright holders, after the program is aired.

But broadcasters and ISPs must receive permission from all actors, performers, singers and copyright holders for other items, before the TV program is shown on the Internet.

The idea seems to be to redefine Internet broadcasting so that it and "terrestrial broadcasts" can be released simultaneously. It appears to only apply to digital broadcasts, as analog will be phased out by 2011.