Japanese publishers suffered an estimated loss of 381.8 billion yen (approximately $3.5 billion) due to free reading on manga piracy sites in 2023, as reported by ABJ. This figure, disclosed during an anti-piracy measures meeting held by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, is lower than the 506.9 billion yen lost in 2022 but remains significantly higher than the pre-pandemic loss of 210 billion yen in 2020.
ABJ attributed the initial surge in piracy to the increased home internet use during the COVID-19 pandemic. The damage caused by free reading on manga piracy sites peaked at approximately 1.19 trillion yen in 2021, a result of people staying at home. Since then, the losses have been on a declining trend due to crackdowns on major pirate sites.
Significant crackdowns include:
– Mangamura: The Tokyo District Court ordered the former operator to pay 1.7 billion yen in damages to Shogakukan, Kadokawa, and Shueisha.
– 13DL: The largest manga piracy site in Japan, recently shut down by CODA.
Additionally, two foreign nationals suspected of leaking manga panels were arrested.
As of January 2024, ABJ identified 1,176 active pirate sites, with the number increasing towards the end of 2023. Many of these sites are translated into languages other than Japanese, indicating a global target audience.
ABJ warned that new sites continue to emerge with more sophisticated tactics. The organization called for ongoing cooperation with all stakeholders to combat manga piracy, emphasizing the impact on publishers and creators who lose out on royalties and income.
The Japanese government, in collaboration with international partners, is actively working to combat piracy through legal measures and technological solutions. The Agency for Cultural Affairs has created video tutorials aimed at high school students to educate them on the downsides of reading manga on piracy sites.
With 90% of junior high school students and above owning smartphones in Japan, the aim is to teach students that “just reading” manga on piracy sites can lead to copyright infringement.
