We are aware that there are individuals who illegally circulate OUP products such as Oxford Reading Tree without getting the copyright holder’s permission.

It constitutes infringement of the copyright and it is illegal to engage in such an activity under Japan’s copyright law (Right of Rental under Article 26-3 of the Copyright Act). Such rental services are eligible for injunction relief and damage claim. Furthermore, there are substantial criminal penalties under Japan’s copyright law for engaging in such illegal activities, including fines (up to 10 million JPY) and prison sentences (up to 10 years). For a corporate entity, the fines can be up to 300 million JPY. 
 
Copyright infringement is not simply a breach of rights, but an act of wasting and deriding the efforts and contributions of many people involved in publishing works, such as authors and editors. OUP responds very strictly toward any form of copyright infringement.