KDDI Corporation, Tokyu Corporation, Mizuho Research & Research Institute, Inc., "Virtual City Consortium" organized by Future Design Shibuya Co., Ltd. will be on April 22, 2022 for the development of the metaverse / city-linked metaverse industry. We have formulated "Virtual City Guidelines ver.1".
This guideline welcomes the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and Shibuya Ward as observers, and based on discussions and knowledge of businesses and experts involved in the operation of virtual Shibuya and town development activities in existing cities, the metaverse / city-linked metaverse Clarified points to note and items to consider when establishing and operating.
This guideline and the concept of the "Virtual City Declaration", which is its action guideline, will be reflected in virtual Shibuya, etc., and by proposing its use to other Metaverse-related businesses, users and interests. We aim to create a space where people and platform providers can use it safely and securely.
Background and purpose of formulation
Recently, people are paying attention to life and business in the virtual space on the Internet called "Metaverse". The developing Metaverse includes "virtual properties" such as ownership of digital assets and portrait rights of avatars that are not subject to intellectual property rights legally protected by current law, interoperability between platforms, etc. There are many issues to sort out.
In addition, issues such as the reproducibility of the landscape unique to the city-linked type that expands the existing city with the Metaverse and economic cooperation with local governments were clarified through the activities of Shibuya Ward official "Virtual Shibuya" that was provided for the first time in the industry. I've been.
This time, the consortium has discussed with related ministries and agencies and experts so that other local governments and Metaverse-related businesses can refer to it, and has clarified it as a guideline.
Also, in anticipation of the development of the Metaverse originating in Japan, we will list items that require further discussion with related organizations and propose the direction of discussion.
In the future, the consortium will aim for guideline ver.2, which has not been organized in guideline ver.1, to protect privacy and user rights, ensure interoperability between metaverses, and adapt to other cities other than Shibuya. We will continue to discuss the arrangements. We will also collaborate with Metaverse Japan, a general incorporated association established in March 2022, with the aim of becoming a hub for widely sharing cutting-edge information and worldviews across industry and company boundaries in the Metaverse domain. ..
Furthermore, we will actively participate in discussions on rule-making that will be promoted by the government, local governments, and private companies.
Comments from members who participated in the formulation
President of Digital Hollywood University
Tomoyuki Sugiyama (Doctor of Engineering)
In 2021, various possibilities of a real city and a virtual city that became a digital twin were explored, and a wide range of possible problems such as intellectual property rights were examined. In addition, in order for the virtual city to develop soundly, it is necessary to formulate guidelines including ethical matters, and a wide range of studies have been started. In the near future, expectations for a seamless connection between real and virtual have increased, and the momentum for further deepening the Virtual City Consortium has increased.
Professor, Research Director, Global Communication Center, International University
Tomoaki Watanabe (Ph.D., Mass Communication)
There are many issues to consider in order to realize a rich and lively Metaverse. We hope that the results of our studies will serve as a reference for a wide range of people, lead to more lively discussions, collaboration with like-minded people, and contribute to the realization of a society in which the potential of the Metaverse can be fully enjoyed. There is already a rich culture in Japan that masters 3D avatars, but I am personally looking forward to seeing how the potential will become a reality, including those.
SAKURA Law Office Lawyer
Kenshiro Michishita
The Metaverse has attracted worldwide attention, various Metaverse spaces have appeared, and the business related to the Metaverse is developing. Under such circumstances, the Virtual City Consortium has been openly discussing virtual city, which is a city-linked metaverse, ahead of the rest of the world. We pride ourselves that the Virtual City Declaration and Virtual City Guidelines created by this consortium will not only deepen our understanding of the issues specific to Virtual City, but will also give us an opportunity to consider the direction of the Metaverse itself in its early days.
KDDI CORPORATION / Keio University Graduate School of Media and Governance Specially Appointed Lecturer
Daiko Kawamoto (Master's Policy / Media)
At the turning point, which is almost the third year since the planning and provision of "Virtual Shibuya" officially recognized by Shibuya Ward, we were able to discuss various ideas and issues that had been tacit knowledge and put them together as a declaration and guidelines. .. I would be more than happy if these help people involved in the Metaverse in the future. The Virtual City Consortium will continue to create open co-creative rules to accelerate things, not to stop them.
Content Industry Division, Commerce and Information Policy Bureau, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
As a content industry, the Metaverse market has great expectations. This time, I participated as an observer of the virtual city consortium that is considering the city-linked metaverse, but I recognize that the expansion of the customer experience by linking with the city has a high affinity with the digital garden city concept. doing. We would like to thank you for your addition to this very meaningful consideration. We would like to continue to pay close attention to the status of consideration and future developments of this consortium.
Main items of Virtual City Guidelines
This guideline is intended for the Metaverse and the City-Linked Metaverse. Discussions and arrangements were held with a view to communication between users using avatars, user-centered creative activities, and the development of economic activities in collaboration with existing cities.
Metaverse general items
・ Activation of creator economy
-Copyright of UGC (User Generated Contents) (Note)
・ Avatar protection
・ Avatar portrait rights and publicity rights
· Virtual properties
City-linked metaverse item
・ Reproducibility and modification of the landscape of a real city
・ The idea of "publicness"
・ Collaboration with real cities ・ Organization of commercial distribution
Please refer to the following page for guidelines.
http://shibuya5g.org/research/docs/guideline.pdf
Virtual City Declaration
We will formulate and publish the "Virtual City Declaration," which is a guideline for codes of conduct and ways of thinking that are important in formulating guidelines.
1. Encourage creative activities and open up the diversity of people
2. Expand people's living space and create a new economic zone
3. Fostering "city pride" and urban culture at the global level
4. Create accidental encounters and communication of "people, things, things"
5. Leverage technology to properly protect user rights
6. Ensuring proper management and openness as a public place
7. Promote democratic rule-making activities
Consortium overview
Based on various knowledge based on the operation of the distribution platform "Virtual Shibuya" officially approved by Shibuya Ward, it will be open for the development of the Metaverse from Japan, such as the development of similar models in other cities and the development of new businesses and technologies in the future. It is an organization whose purpose is to conduct discussions and research, formulate guidelines, and disseminate information.
Name Virtual City Consortium
Established November 9, 2021
Participating companies KDDI Corporation, Future Design Shibuya Co., Ltd., Tokyu Corporation, Mizuho Research & Research Institute Co., Ltd. (as of April 22, 2022, in alphabetical order)
Representative Kazuhiko Nakama, KDDI CORPORATION
URLhttps://shibuya5g.org/research
Contact us Please contact us using the form on the website.
Advisory board (participation expert)
President of Digital Hollywood University
Tomoyuki Sugiyama (Doctor of Engineering)
Professor, Research Director, Global Communication Center, International University
Tomoaki Watanabe (Ph.D., Mass Communication)
SAKURA Law Office Lawyer
Kenshiro Michishita
KDDI CORPORATION / Keio University Graduate School of Media and Governance Specially Appointed Lecturer
Daiko Kawamoto (Master's Policy / Media)
observer
Content Industry Division, Commerce and Information Policy Bureau, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
Shibuya Ward
Main services of each company
KDDI: Make full use of 5G and advanced technology to share knowledge about the development and technology and services of the au version of Metaverse, Virtual City.
Tokyu: Looking ahead to linking with virtual space, we will share knowledge of community development activities and business in real cities.
Mizuho Research & Research Institute: Supports consortium management and guideline development.
Future Design Shibuya: Promote cooperation between the government and private companies.
About Shibuya-ku official virtual Shibuya
"Virtual Shibuya" is the first virtual project in Japan approved by the local government, which was launched in May 2020 by the "Shibuya 5G Entertainment Project" organized by KDDI, Future Design Shibuya, and Shibuya City Tourism Association. It is a certified city-linked metaverse.
It is not something that the Metaverse operator plans and operates as a single company, but multiple stakeholders related to Shibuya work closely together to discuss how the actual city and the Metaverse should coexist in each region. The biggest feature is that it is a virtual space linked with. Part of the profits from the initiative is returned to Shibuya's urban development activities.
(Note) A user's creation that the user brings to the platform or distributes on the platform.
