Quoting Japanese media reports, the owner of a retro game store in Mie Prefecture, Japan, was recently detained by the police for allegedly selling pirated Pokémon cards.
Called "Alive Yokkaichi Tokiwa Store", the store is a large comprehensive game store that sells a variety of new and old games, cards, game consoles, CDs and other secondary goods.
According to a police report, the owner of the store, Harada, was suspected of selling fake (pirated) Pokémon cards, and was reported to have sold a fake Aserola card worth 2,200 yen (about 120 yuan) in November, in violation of Japan's copyright and trademark laws.
Japanese copyright law is known for its perverted rigor, and some harmless acts, even cosplay, require a certain authorization, not to mention blatant counterfeits.
Harada claimed that when he sold the card, he saw that it might be a fake, but he didn't think much about it at the time. In addition to selling fake cards, the police also found 3 pirated retro-style Mega Man games in this store, although these games have not been sold, but they are obviously illegal. Harada admitted to selling the copycat games for profit.
Considering the facts of the infringement, rather than the actual profits, was the reason harada was detained for such a small amount. In the same case, a 39-year-old man was arrested in 2019 for selling his hands for $27 because none of the cheap ones he sold were officially authorized, and the $77,000 stolen money recovered from his house was confiscated.
In Harada's case, police seized about 150 cards and games that were believed to be fakes, the source of which is currently being traced, and the store's official tweet has issued an apology statement.