Japan could soon imprison people for watching YouTube

The Japanese Government is cracking down on illegal downloading with severe punishments to be issued to anyone caught with pirated Blu-Rays, DVDs, and digital files. While the 2009 legislation made it illegal to download copyright material, there were no pecuniary measures in place to back it up. But now, people in possession of illegal copyright material could face up to two years' prison and fines up to almost $25,000. Even watching such material on YouTube is included in the new rules. So, if you were planning to gaze into your tablet and watch copyright-protected kitten videos while slurping down ramen in Tokyo, be sure to do it soon -- the laws come into effect in October.