Manga piracy continues to plague the Japanese publishing industry, costing over 1 trillion yen (roughly $6.7 billion) in 2024. Operated primarily from overseas, these sites offer unauthorized translations, attracting over 1.5 billion monthly visits. This issue has significant economic implications, threatening Japan's lucrative gaming, anime, and manga industries. Experts call for long-term solutions and increased international cooperation to combat this growing problem.
Manga piracy has been a problem for the Japan ese publishing industry ever since it became possible to duplicate and distribute pages of artwork via computers electronically. Since then, piracy has grown into a massive underground industry that undermines the hard work of writers, artists, and publishing companies in Japan . Stopping it is like playing a game of whack-a-mole—take down one manga pirate site, and several more seem to appear in its place.
Manga Piracy Is a Global Issue Legal Challenges and International Cooperation As reported by Ken Akamatsu, the former mangaka who is currently serving as a member of the Japanese Diet, during the presentation, Atsushi Ito explained that most manga piracy websites are operated from overseas. They offer unauthorized translations in multiple languages, including English, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Spanish, with a total monthly access count exceeding 1.5 billion visits.
More Than Just Manga at Stake A Call for Long-Term Solutions These may seem like heavy topics for an entertainment medium, but the financial stakes go far beyond just manga. In 2022, Japan’s gaming, anime, and manga industries collectively generated 4.7 trillion yen from overseas markets—an amount comparable to the 5.7 trillion yen earned from Japan’s microchip exports.
Business Entertainment MANGA Piracy Japan Publishing Industry International Cooperation Economic Impact
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Shueisha Takes Aim at Manga Piracy Infrastructure in Landmark Legal CaseA new court case in the U.S. targeting the infrastructure supporting manga piracy sites could signal a turning point in the fight against illegal distribution. Shueisha, one of Japan's largest manga publishers, filed a DMCA subpoena application seeking detailed information about the individuals and entities behind major piracy platforms, aiming to expose operators and disrupt their operations.
Read more »
Anime Piracy: HiAnime Surpasses Streaming Giants, Japan Fights BackA new report reveals the staggering popularity of an anime piracy website, HiAnime, surpassing even established streaming platforms like Crunchyroll and Disney+ in online viewership. This highlights the ongoing battle against anime piracy, which continues to thrive despite legal actions and efforts by Japan to combat it using AI.
Read more »
Spider-Man Swings into a New Feudal Japan Manga AdventureMarvel's Spider-Man ventures into a fresh manga world with a new series set in 19th century Japan. Peter Parker, Miles Morales, and Ghost-Spider team up to stop Kingpin, who has established himself as Governor of Edo. However, Kingpin unleashes an alien parasite that bonds with a young man named Hyo, transforming him into a unique Venom. The series, launching September 16th, blends time travel and Isekai elements, promising a thrilling experience for manga and superhero fans alike.
Read more »
Crunchyroll Manga Launches in 2025Crunchyroll, the popular anime streaming service, is expanding its offerings with the launch of Crunchyroll Manga, a dedicated app for reading digital manga. Scheduled for release in 2025, Crunchyroll Manga aims to become the go-to platform for anime fans to enjoy their favorite manga series.
Read more »
Anime Piracy Website Surpasses Disney+ in Monthly VisitorsHiAnime.to, an anime piracy website, has seen explosive growth in 2024, attracting over 300 million monthly visitors, surpassing popular streaming platforms like Disney+. This surge in piracy is causing concern for animation studios, leading to increased efforts to combat illegal streaming.
Read more »
Meta Secretly Trained Its AI on a Notorious Piracy Database, Newly Unredacted Court Docs RevealOne of the most important AI copyright legal battles just took a major turn.
Read more »