The fight against piracy has intensified in recent years, with anti-piracy organizations ramping up their efforts to combat illegal content distribution. Notably, significant victories have emerged within the anime, manga, and manhwa sectors, particularly highlighted by a recent crackdown in South Korea targeting unauthorized webtoon platforms.
Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) played a pivotal role in this initiative. They conducted investigations that culminated in the permanent shutdown of a prominent webtoon website, citing clear instances of copyright infringement within its offerings. MCST’s actions led to the dismantling of multiple platforms, encompassing both webtoon and illegal streaming services.
MCST’s Closure of Three Major Illegal Piracy Websites in South Korea
Closure Based on Copyright Violations
According to a report from Anime News Network, MCST’s efforts led to the shutdown of “Nunu TV,”the largest illegal streaming site in Korea. Alongside it, two other websites, “OKTOON”and “TVWiki,”were also taken offline due to their interconnected nature and similar offenses regarding stolen webtoons and streaming content. These closures were enforced due to blatant copyright violations, as none of the platforms possessed the necessary rights to distribute the content available on their sites.
In their press release, available on MCST’s official website, the ministry revealed that the operator of Nunu TV has been apprehended. Visitors attempting to access the now-defunct sites are greeted with a copyright infringement notification, clarifying the reasons for their deactivation. While piracy has severely affected the webtoon sector, organizations like MCST and the Content Overseas Distribution Association (CODA) from Japan remain vigilantly committed to eliminating these infractions.
Anti-Piracy Efforts Expanding Globally: CODA’s Recent Actions
Massive Crackdown on Brazilian Piracy Websites
In a similar vein, CODA recently scored a notable victory in Brazil, where they successfully dismantled 15 piracy websites, including “rine.cloud,”recognized as one of Brazil’s largest illegal distributors. This particular site attracted a staggering average of 2.74 million visits each month. Despite employing deceptive strategies like IP blocking and using legitimate user accounts to bypass barriers, anti-piracy teams have effectively curtailed these illegal operations. Their diligent investigations underscore the significant strides made in reducing the prevalence of piracy websites.
Beyond the realms of webtoons and manhwa, anime piracy continues to pose a substantial challenge. Esteemed animation studios including Toei Animation Co., Ltd., Toho Co., Ltd., and Bandai Namco Filmworks Inc. have joined the fray to protect their intellectual properties from unlawful appropriation. Notably, Google has even responded to VIZ Media’s requests by de-listing billions of URLs associated with these piracy sites, highlighting the industry’s collective resolve to maintain an equitable environment for creators and their audiences.
For more detailed information, you can refer to the sources: Anime News Network and MCST.
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