Japan passes law to protect people forced into porn industry

Japan passed a law on Wednesday that may become instrumental in protecting people who have been forced into appearing in porn films. This move is being hailed as "groundbreaking". The law would help to curb exploitation in multi-billion-dollar industry. The law is aimed at preventing talent scouts offering work as a model or idol performer before pushing recruits into sex and nudity.

Tokyo-based lawyer Kazuko Ito told AFP that instances when people are forced to appear in porn movies, can cause "serious trauma".

The law allows those who appear in pornmovies to cancel their contracts within a year of the work's release for any reason and without paying penalty fees.

The law says that when this happens, the porn video must be deleted and recalled. This provision is aimed at preventing producers from blackmailing and bullying people into act in porn films which can stay online for years.

"Once the films are distributed they stay online essentially forever, to be consumed by an unspecified number of people, effectively becoming 'digital tattoos'," Ito told AFP.

The "groundbreaking" new law "aligns very closely to the interests of the victims", she added.

Initially, it will allow contracts to be cancelled up to two years after a film is released, but that period is expected to be later revised to a standard 12 months.

The law also makes it compulsory for porn makers to wait for at least a month to start the shoot after signing of the contract. It also makes mandatory a period of four months between completion of shooting and release of the work.

Lawmakers began lobbying for the new rules when Japan lowered its age of adulthood from 20 to 18 in April.

That raised concerns that recruiters could target 18 and 19 year olds, who previously had the right to withdraw from contracts signed without a guardian's permission.

(With inputs from agencies)

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