The latest from Japan is that Hello Kitty is now the official Copyright PR Ambassador for the country’s Agency for Cultural Affairs.
Hello Kitty has been the ultimate epitome of kawaii since the 1970s, and has crept her way onto just about every backpack, keychain, and pencil case on the planet since then (along with everything from musical instruments, to wine, to airplanes). She’s also been the inspiration for TV series, films, music, and no fewer than 18 video games in that time, too.
Then her creators shook up the planet a few years ago when they revealed that Hello Kitty is in fact not actually a kitty, despite her suspiciously feline-y appearance. Rather, she’s a boring old human, one who was born in London, has a twin sister Mimmy (who must have a serious inferiority complex by now), and even her own dang pet cat called Charmmy Kitty.
So if you think about it, Hello Kitty is really more of a Furry than anything else. But we’re really glad we didn’t end up with Hello Furry instead.
Anyway, now Hello Kitty is also the face of the most kawaii thing ever - copyright law! She (represented by a mascot) was formally inducted as such last week, and will apparently appear in informational videos and school material aimed at spreading awareness about copyright infringement issues.
“I will do my utmost to ensure that everyone learns about copyright,” vowed her mascot. If you don’t, Hello Kitty Mascot, nothing will ever disappoint us more.
Japan’s parliament seems to be clamping down on the pirated media scene in a big way at the moment, having approved revisions to the copyright law in June this year. The revised law - which now aims to punish those who knowingly download illegally uploaded or pirated manga, magazines, and academic works - will go into effect on January 1st, 2021. It will also ban “leech sites” which provide hyperlinks to pirated media from October 1st, 2020.
And now we have Hello Kitty at the helm, and no one messes with her.
For reals, though, it’s quite charming that she was appointed as such. It kinda makes sense when you consider what Sanrio had to say about her (specifically about her lack of any mouthparts): “she’s Sanrio’s ambassador to the world and isn’t bound to any particular language…she speaks from the heart.”
Source: Anime News Network
