Tons of used books in Japan being bought up by someone or something
The purchasers are unknown, so let’s call them “anonymous individuals” or “AI” for short. There is perhaps no better example of an independent business than the neighborhood used bookstore. But like many such businesses these days, it can be really hard to make ends meet as they compete with cheaper chain stores or faster and […]
In Japan, used bookstores are experiencing a peculiar phenomenon, as large volumes of high-end non-fiction books are being purchased by an unknown party or entity. These anonymous individuals or AI are making regular orders at precise intervals, causing concern among book sellers. One Tokyo store sold over 1,000 books to a single shipping address, while another in western Japan received an order for tens of thousands of books from an overseas company.
Many of these orders are shipped to a logistics center in Okayama Prefecture, but the purchaser remains hidden from the media. Major book distributors have also sold over 50 tons of books in the United States, but they too have declined to disclose the specifics. Trade experts worry that these orders could be used to train AI models, as the books are destroyed during the scanning process.
While some revenue is a welcome boost, the thought of their human knowledge being discarded to feed a technology that might one day replace their industry is disconcerting. Japanese law offers some protection under fair use, but the legality is still in question, as the action may obstruct the copyright holder's ability to earn revenue.
Opinions on the situation are divided, with some fearing the loss of Japanese culture and others believing it could benefit Japanese society in the long run.
Written by urgent.news from SoraNews24's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
