Kakao Leisure’s relentless marketing campaign towards manga and webtoon piracy continues to achieve momentum. The corporate has now set its sights on three extra main piracy websites, one in every of which is being known as the world’s largest manga piracy website.
This follows sizzling on the heels of Tachiyomi’s high-profile arrest earlier this yr.
Kakao’s newest anti-piracy report (P.CoK Anti-Piracy Whitepaper Vol. 5), overlaying the primary six months of 2024, highlights that the corporate is making in depth efforts to fight unlawful distribution.
The report particulars ongoing authorized circumstances towards three main piracy web sites. The web sites will not be totally named, however are described in ample element to be recognized by these accustomed to the business.
One among these places, designated solely with ‘M’, was described by the corporate because the world’s largest manga piracy websitewith regard to site visitors and the work going down on it.
In line with Kakao, Web site ‘M’ has constantly ignored warning letters from P.CoK. Nonetheless, they’ve now recognized three main operators of the location, together with the creator, and are getting ready to take joint authorized motion towards them.
Japan’s CODA can also be stated to be concerned within the lawsuit towards website M.
The opposite two websites susceptible to going through authorized motion embody a prime 5 fan translation group and a big Chinese language manhua location.
This English-language fan translation group, which Kakao refers to within the report solely as “***scan“, is among the many prime 5 on the planet for unlawful translations and distributions.
They revealed that the group is infamous for illegally distributing translated webtoons on platforms like YouTube and Fb.
Curiously, Kakao’s report additionally famous that ***scans has been acquired by an unnamed abroad comedian guide firm, which has continued the unlawful actions by hiring key executives from the unique group.
Kakao is getting ready authorized motion towards each ***scans and the corporate accountable.
Lastly, Kakao additionally has its eye on a significant Chinese language website, ***manhua, which is concerned within the unlawful distribution of translated content material throughout China.
The writer claims the location operates by way of a community of clone websites which might be inaccessible in Korea, making the location troublesome to fight.
Regardless of a number of warnings, ***manhua has continued its operations, prompting Kakao to arrange a civil lawsuit in collaboration with authorized Chinese language platforms.
P.CoK famous within the report that piracy websites typically used tips corresponding to banning IPs from Korea and Japan to stop customers from these international locations from accessing these web sites. Nonetheless, their group was in a position to bypass these restrictions and take motion towards the piracy websites.
Throughout the interval lined by the report, Kakao’s Unlawful Distribution Response Group, higher generally known as P.CoK, expanded its surveillance to extra international locations, developed a sophisticated identification system for unlawful website operators, and strengthened the involvement of stakeholders together with nationwide governments, copyright companies, content material suppliers, analysis companies, and creators.
Thanks to those efforts, 31 unlawful websites and providers had been recognized, seven of which had been shut down as a direct results of Kakao’s actions.
Probably the most notable removals throughout this era was Tachiyomi, a preferred manga app that acquired quite a lot of consideration.
Kakao’s report discovered that communication with Tachiyomi’s developer performed an important position within the app’s eventual shutdown, which the corporate discovered troublesome to adjust to copyright laws.
Kakao Leisure’s aggressive pursuit of pirates has not been with out controversy. Earlier this yr, the corporate’s P.CoK unit was criticized for providing rewards to webtoon followers prepared to report piracy exercise. Regardless of this, the corporate’s efforts look like paying off, as evidenced by profitable takedowns and ongoing authorized actions towards main piracy websites.
As Kakao continues to ramp up its anti-piracy initiatives, the manga and webtoon business will likely be protecting an in depth eye on how these authorized battles develop and what impression they may have on the broader struggle towards unlawful distribution.
Supply: Kakao’s Anti-Piracy Report through Torrentfreak
