Aozora Bunko

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Aozora Bunko (青空文庫, literally the "Blue Sky Library" (also known as the "Open Air Library"), is a Japanese digital library. This on-line collection encompasses several thousands of 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 a evolving on-line catalog.^[1] In 2006, Aozora Bunko organized to take on an added role as a public policy advocate in order to protect its current and anticipated catalog of freely accessible e-books.^[2]

[edit] Origins

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 the project was one man -- Michio Tomita, who was motivated by the simple belief that people with a common interest should cooperate with each other.^[3]

In Japan, Aozora Bunko is considered similar to Project Gutenberg.^[4]

The Aozora Bunko on-line resources are searchable by category, author, or title; and there is a considerable amount of support in how to use the database in the form of detailed explanations. The files can be downloaded in PDF format or simply viewed in HTML format.^[1]

Most of the texts provided are Japanese literature and translations from English literature. This digital library ultimately plans to include 6,000+ works on the site.^[4]

This is a explanatory illustration prepared by Aozora Bunko as part of project encouraging Japanese citizens to contact Diet members in effort to express a point-of-view.

Aozora Bunko has joined with others in organizing to oppose changes in Japanese copyright law, and that opposition has led to encouraging Japanese citizens to submit letters and petitions to the Japanese Cultural Affairs Agency and to members of the Diet.^[2]

Graphic icon illustrating Aozora Bunko's public-policy advocacy position -- opposing proposed changes to Japan's copyright laws.

Japan and other countries have accepted the terms of the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, an 1886 international agreement about common copyright policies. Japan and other countries with laws which do not go beyond the minimum copyright terms of the Berne Convention have copyrights which run for the lifetime of the author plus 50 years. Aozora Bunko has adopted an advocacy role in favor of construing this status quo as preferable to changes proposed by a number of powerful forces.^[2]

The evolution of Aozora Bunko from a digital library to a public-policy advocacy organization is an unintended consequence which developed only after the perceived threat to the Aozora Bunko catalog and mission became otherwise unavoidable.^[4]

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• Wikisource
• List of digital library projects
• Open Content Alliance
  • UK:Gowers Review of Intellectual Property
  • US:Copyright Term Extension Act
• Project Runeberg
• Open Rights Group
• Philosophy of copyright
  • Permission culture

[edit] External links

• (Japanese)青空文庫 zip and html files of Japanese literature in Aozora Bunko.
• (Japanese)うわづら文庫 Uwazura Bunko of the Aozora Bunko are bigger size pdf files of Japanese literature, not the same as those zip and html files in Aozora Bunko.

• National Diet Library: NDL Library Digital Archive Portal (PORTA); NDL PORTA analysis
• Copyright Research and Information Center

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