Google (NSDQ:GOOG) and Japanese mobile phone carrier NTT DoCoMo are considering a partnership to provide DoCoMo's subscribers with Google search functionality on their phones, Reuters reports. The deal would give Google access to DoCoMo's "i-Mode" mobile network, which boasts 48 million users.

The partnership could also boost DoCoMo market share. Although its 53 million subscribers make it Japan's largest mobile carrier, the company has struggled to grow amongst newer, smaller competitors like Softbank. It could also give Google a regional boost, where the company trails Yahoo subsidiary Yahoo Japan Corp. as the leading search engine.

Read more: crn.com 

Labels: DoCoMo, Japan, mobile, partnership, phone

Australia and Japan are far apart on the issue of whaling

The Australian government has launched an anti-whaling message aimed at Japanese children on video-sharing internet site YouTube.

In the video, which carries Japanese subtitles, Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull urges all countries to stop catching and killing whales.

The video includes footage of humpback whales, as well as Australian children proclaiming support for a whaling ban.

Japan opposes the international prohibition of commercial whaling.

Read more: news.bbc.co.uk 

Labels: Australia, Japan, Whales, youtube

A new report claims that a group of Japanese music, film and television representatives held a press conference in Tokyo yesterday to complain about copyright violations on YouTube. One composer, Hideki Matsutake (pictured right ), is quoted as saying, “YouTube has to stop how it runs its site and get rid of the illegal clips. We want them to reset the service… There is no middle ground. We demand that all copyrighted material be removed immediately.”

There are also comments from a member of Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers, the group Google has attempted to appease since last year regarding the YouTube copyright issue.

Full story: blog.wired.com 

Labels: Copyright, Japan, music, TV, video, youtube