Man arrested in Japan for selling AI-colorized pirated 1954 'Godzilla' film
OSAKA (Kyodo) -- A man in Osaka Prefecture has been arrested for allegedly selling a pirated version of the 1954 black-and-white film "Godzilla," which he apparently colorized using artificial intelligence, police said Tuesday.
Ippei Miyamoto, a 66-year-old part-time worker, is accused of having sold the DVD -- which features the iconic fire-breathing, city-stomping giant reptilian monster -- for 2,980 yen ($21) to a man in Tokyo last November.
Police suspect Miyamoto used AI-equipped software to add color and produce the DVD.
Miyamoto, who was arrested on Monday, has admitted to the charge, saying, "I sold it knowing it was a crime."
He is also believed to have sold about 1,500 fake DVDs, ranging from 3,000 yen to 30,000 yen, on online flea market websites from January 2024 to May 2025, earning at least 1.7 million yen, according to the police.
He had advertised the films as being "legal" and "masterpieces colored by AI."
Toho Co., which distributes and owns the copyright to the long-running Godzilla franchise, filed a complaint with the police in February this year, leading authorities to search Miyamoto's house on Monday and confiscate about 70 DVDs.
The Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, of which Toho is a member, said that it has been aware that pirated color copies of films had been circulating and vowed to strengthen its watch over unauthorized production.
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OSAKA (TR) – Osaka Prefectural Police have arrested a 66-year-old man for allegedly colorizing the first 'Godzilla' movie without permission and selling copies, reports Mainichi Broadcasting System (June 17). According to the police, Ippei Miyamoto, a part-time worker from Toyonaka City, allegedly sold a DVD of a copy of the 1954 black-and-white 'Godzilla' movie to a man in Tokyo last November. Upon his arrest on suspicion of violating the Copyright Law, Miyamoto admitted to the charges. 'I sold pirated DVDs even though I knew it was a crime,' he said. Ippei Miyamoto (Twitter) The crime was discovered when an employee of a non-profit organization that works to protect copyrights consulted police. Miyamoto listed the DVDs on multiple flea market sites for between around 3,000 and 30,000 yen each. He included such slogans as 'using image generation AI to colorize classic black-and-white movies.' All told, he is believed to have sold around 500 DVDs between January last year and May this year, making a profit of around 1.7 million yen.
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Man arrested for selling AI-colorized pirated 1954 "Godzilla" film
KYODO NEWS - 1 hour ago - 19:30 | All, Japan A man in Osaka Prefecture has been arrested for allegedly selling a pirated version of the 1954 black-and-white film "Godzilla," which he apparently colorized using artificial intelligence, police said Tuesday. Ippei Miyamoto, a 66-year-old part-time worker, is accused of having sold the DVD -- which features the iconic fire-breathing, city-stomping giant reptilian monster -- for 2,980 yen ($21) to a man in Tokyo last November. Police suspect Miyamoto used AI-equipped software to add color and produce the DVD. Miyamoto, who was arrested on Monday, has admitted to the charge, saying, "I sold it knowing it was a crime." He is also believed to have sold about 1,500 fake DVDs, ranging from 3,000 yen to 30,000 yen, on online flea market websites from January 2024 to May 2025, earning at least 1.7 million yen, according to the police. He had advertised the films as being "legal" and "masterpieces colored by AI." Toho Co., which distributes and owns the copyright to the long-running Godzilla franchise, filed a complaint with the police in February this year, leading authorities to search Miyamoto's house on Monday and confiscate about 70 DVDs. The Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, of which Toho is a member, said that it has been aware that pirated color copies of films had been circulating and vowed to strengthen its watch over unauthorized production. Related coverage: Japan's latest Godzilla film wins Oscar for best visual effects
The Mainichi
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Man arrested in Japan for selling AI-colorized pirated 1954 'Godzilla' film
OSAKA (Kyodo) -- A man in Osaka Prefecture has been arrested for allegedly selling a pirated version of the 1954 black-and-white film "Godzilla," which he apparently colorized using artificial intelligence, police said Tuesday. Ippei Miyamoto, a 66-year-old part-time worker, is accused of having sold the DVD -- which features the iconic fire-breathing, city-stomping giant reptilian monster -- for 2,980 yen ($21) to a man in Tokyo last November. Police suspect Miyamoto used AI-equipped software to add color and produce the DVD. Miyamoto, who was arrested on Monday, has admitted to the charge, saying, "I sold it knowing it was a crime." He is also believed to have sold about 1,500 fake DVDs, ranging from 3,000 yen to 30,000 yen, on online flea market websites from January 2024 to May 2025, earning at least 1.7 million yen, according to the police. He had advertised the films as being "legal" and "masterpieces colored by AI." Toho Co., which distributes and owns the copyright to the long-running Godzilla franchise, filed a complaint with the police in February this year, leading authorities to search Miyamoto's house on Monday and confiscate about 70 DVDs. The Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, of which Toho is a member, said that it has been aware that pirated color copies of films had been circulating and vowed to strengthen its watch over unauthorized production.
