News articles, texts, materials, photographs, graphics, data and all other content offered on the Internet are works protected by copyright. Use of these copyrighted works without the prior written permission of the owner of their copyrights and beyond the limits set by the provisions for "reproduction for private use" and "quotations" under the copyright laws of Japan and other countries shall be considered to constitute infringements of copyright.
The copyrights of news articles, texts, materials, photographs, graphics, data and all other content contained on the Japanese-language Kyodo News Website, English-language Kyodo News Plus and Chinese-language Gongtong Wang (hereinafter collectively referred to as "Kyodo websites") belong to Kyodo News (hereinafter referred to as Kyodo) or providers of information.
News articles, texts, materials, photographs, graphics, data and all other content provided on the Kyodo websites are hereinafter referred to as "news articles and photos etc."
Any person who uses news articles and photos etc. copyrighted by Kyodo beyond the limits set by the provisions for "reproduction for private use" and/or "quotations" shall be required to obtain the prior written permission of Kyodo. In the event the third-party information provider is the owner of the copyrights of news articles and photos etc., the prior written permission of that provider shall be required.
"Private use" means personal use, family use or other similar uses within a limited circle. Use of personally reproduced works by those other than the individual who reproduced them in such places as the workplace shall be considered to constitute infringements of copyright, whether or not such use is for the purpose of commercial use. Deemed "reproduction" here shall be not only printing but also downloading and saving onto personal computers, servers and other memory devices of news articles and photos etc.
It shall be permissible to make quotations from a work already made public, provided that their making is compatible with the conditions mentioned below.
You may make quotations from others' works in your work only for a purpose whose necessity is appropriately recognized, provided that their extent does not exceed the minimum necessary justified by such purposes.
You may make quotations only by drawing an explicitly recognizable distinction between your own work and quoted parts of others' works, provided that such quotations constitute subordinated portions of your work, both quantitatively and qualitatively.
Any quotations shall be made textually or verbatim in principle. Any rewriting or elimination may fall under infringement of copyright.
You shall be required to clearly specify the source in your work when making quotations from others' works.
You shall not be allowed to copy, duplicate, translate, adapt, alter, distribute, publish, display or transmit news articles and photos etc. without the prior written permission of Kyodo.
You shall not be either allowed to post or run news articles and photos etc. in print media such as newspapers or magazines, or via websites, e-mails or intranet among others unless you obtain the prior written permission of Kyodo. This applies to any cases of making quotations, without exception, even for noncommercial purpose or in the capacity of an individual.
In the event of any disputes, trouble or damages arising from your use of news articles and photos etc., you shall be held liable for settling them at your expense. If Kyodo suffers damage or loss from your use of news articles and photos etc., Kyodo will demand damages or other due compensation from you.
If you want to reprint or use the content of the website, in whole or in part, please e-mail the International Department, describing the article(s) you want to use and the purpose of the reprint.
Links to the Kyodo websites shall be made in accordance with the procedures and rules listed below.
You may be allowed to make links to the following pages in principle.
Kyodo News Website (Japanese)
Kyodo News Plus (English)
Gongton Wang (Chinese)
You are required to consult with Kyodo beforehand if you wish to make links to inner pages of the above-mentioned sites. You are not allowed to make direct links to specific news article, texts, materials, photographs, graphics, data and other content contained in each page of the above-mentioned sites, or so-called deep links.
You are not allowed to make frame links -- linking methods of displaying pages and/or content of the Kyodo websites, independently or combined with other content, within other websites -- or similar links.
You are kindly requested not to use Kyodo's logos as a link symbol. You are instead required to use such characters as 一般社団法人共同通信社, Kyodo News in linking the Kyodo websites to your site.
The URLs of individual pages inside the Kyodo websites are subject to occasional changes. We do not inform you of such a change for a page linked to your site when it occurs.
We may decline your request to make a link to the Kyodo websites, depending on the nature of your site's content and/or the way such a link is made. We will not accept your request for a link when your site contains names, topics or other content deemed inappropriate, illicit or obscene, and/or content deemed as infringing on intellectual property, publicity, privacy or other rights.
The contents of this page concerning copyrights and website links are subject to changes, depending on changes in the content of services and/or forms provided on the Kyodo websites or revisions of relevant laws or other regulatory changes. Browsers of the Kyodo websites are kindly requested to confirm any such changes on this page when necessary.
For further information, contact us at the following.
International Department
Kyodo News
Shiodome Media Tower
1-7-1 Higashi Shimbashi, Minato Ward, Tokyo
105-7201 Japan
e-mail: contact us
