Yes, they've been at it for that long.

Sony once was a great company. Excellent electronics, great service.

Then they became a media empire...

Japanese companies have always been heavy enforcers of IP, at least since the 1980s. For example, IIRC, they're one of the top filers of patents. Sanrio makes more money globally on their characters than Disney does. And Japan pushes for stronger international IP enforcement systems than even the US.

Japan is just quiet about it. Sony is no aberration.