Though it's very common for entertainment writers to describe some narrative elements of the films and shows that they're covering, a Japanese court has determined that the practice can sometimes be tantamount to copyright infringement.
Last Thursday, the Tokyo District Court ruled that 39-year-old Wataru Takeuchi was guilty of violating Japanese law that prohibits the creation of "a new work by making creative modifications to the original while preserving its essential characteristics." Takeuchi worked as administrator of a website that published lengthy, spoiler-heavy descriptions from popular movies and series. And two of Takeuchi's "ar …