Various types of computers and computer networks have become indispensable social infrastructures for our daily lives.Offenses committed by using computer networks have been diversified,and it has become increasingly necessary to take various measures against such offenses and to maintain telecommunication order accordingly.
  Under such circumstances,various laws such as the Law against Child Prostitution and Pornography,and the Unauthorized Computer Access Law were enacted in1999,and an offense involving electromagnetic records in payment cards was newly established in2001(entry into force in July of the year)under the Law for Partial Amendment of the Penal Code(Law No.97of2001),in order to regulate acts of illegally obtaining credit card data or counterfeiting such cards.The Law Concerning Regulation of Actions that Lure Children through Internet Dating Services(Law No.83of2003)was established in2003(partial entry into force in September,and full entry into force in December),in order to prevent damage to children due to child prostitution and other offenses resulting from using Internet dating services.
  Since computer networks make it easy to commit crimes across national borders,various measures are taken on a global scale to fight against high-technology offenses.In2001, the Convention on Cybercrime was adopted by the Council of Europe as the first international comprehensive convention against computer crime.Japan signed the convention,the conclusion of which was approved by the Diet in April2004(see Part2,Chapter6,Section1-3 ).
  In order to prevent high-technology offenses and conclude the Convention on Cybercrime, the bill concerning the partial amendment of the Penal Code and other laws in response to globalizing and systematized crimes and advanced information processing was submitted in the159th ordinary session of the Diet in2004.The bill aims to review the regulations punishing illegal acts such as producing electromagnetic records that contain unauthorized commands,as well as regulations of criminal evidence-collecting procedures for electromagnetic recording media.