Japan to pay royalties to artists, record labels for background music use

TOKYO - Japan's culture agency plans to revise copyright rules to require payment of royalties to artists and record labels when their works are used as background music in places such as cafes and gyms, officials said Friday.

Royalties collected from commercial facilities are currently paid only to songwriters and composers, with Japan now racing to catch up with a policy already adopted in 142 countries and regions to better protect artists' rights.