Yahoo Japan Corp. and other Internet auctioneers joined Thursday with intellectual property rights holders, including Honda Motor Co. and Canon Inc., to set up a group to stem online trade in illegally copied and counterfeit items.
Six auctioneers, including Rakuten Inc., Livedoor Co., DeNA Co., and seven rights holders involving film and music industry groups launched the council.
They agreed to conclude discussions by late March on how to identify exhibitors of pirated items on Internet auctions, stop posting those products and promote public awareness of online piracy.
In the course of discussions, the members will solicit advice from the government and if necessary will call for legislation or revisions of laws, council members said.
The National Police Agency, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the Cultural Affairs Agency are among the group's governmental observers.