In the past week, over 200 websites suddenly and unexpectedly went offline, with nearly all of them identified as illegally distributing pirated content. Two sites that were taken down, manganelo.tv and mangakakalot.tv, ranked among the world’s most highly-trafficked manga piracy sites.
According to web analytics company Similarweb’s data, manganelo.tv received over 10.8 million visits in January 2024, while mangakakalot.tv garnered double that traffic with 20.3 million visits last month.
Additionally, the popular anime piracy site animebytes.tv also abruptly ceased operations, with its operators unsure if or when service will resume.
This mass removal of leading illegal manga and anime distributors deals a major blow to the content piracy ecosystem that has been rampantly plaguing the publishing industry.
Experts view these latest shutdowns as promising progress, though emphasis remains on combatting the ongoing demand driving online pirates as well as keeping tight control over leaked pre-release material.
With two piracy kingpins now dark, the manga industry inches closer to reclaiming control of its intellectual property. The full list of all sites impacted can be accessed through TorrentFreak.
Mass Deactivation of .tv Websites Raises Suspicions of Piracy Crackdown
Investigation into the over 200 suddenly deactivated websites reveals a shared pattern – they all use Finnish domain registrar Sarek Oy and domain extension .tv.
Sarek Oy has developed notoriety for making little effort to curb piracy sites, attracting many to use its services to launch fraud, scams, and illegal operations with impunity.
A January 2022 forum post highlighted Sarek Oy was hosting at that time a cybercrime forum, a stolen account seller site, and more without ever addressing complaints.
Additionally, Sarek Oy’s own founder, Peter Sunde, previously co-founded the infamous piracy haven The Pirate Bay.
The exact cause of this current mass shutdown remains unclear. ICANN suggests the serverHold status from Sarek Oy’s WHOIS search could indicate missing or inaccurate site operator information provided to the registrar.
However, TorrentFreak notes the coincidental timing of so many Sarek Oy-registered piracy domains all encountering this issue simultaneously seems abnormal and suspicious.
While the details behind the .tv sites disappearing stay murky, their common registrar link and lax oversight reputation offer potential clues.
Cracking down on piracy has become a pressing issue, especially in manga and anime following two foreign nationals getting arrested in Japan last month.
They allegedly distributed leaked chapters from the popular manga anthology Weekly Shonen Jump before official release dates. This high-profile case triggered a wider fallout, with numerous manga piracy websites and Discord channels being disabled shortly after.
Additionally, Kakao Entertainment—the same company that aided U.S. Homeland Security in taking down a web novel piracy site in December—forced development to stop on the manga reader app Tachiyomi.
While Tachiyomi itself did not directly enable piracy, its functionality had been widely misused to access illegal scans and translations.
With legal pressure ramping up against leaks and Japan demonstrating a willingness to prosecute offenders beyond its borders, the landscape has begun shifting.
Experts view these latest .tv domain takedowns as another strategic move targeting the global piracy apparatus that has been cutting into manga publishers’ profits and threatening the industry’s future.
Whether directly related or not, the timing aligns with broader initiatives to combat illegal distribution channels and reassert control over intellectual property.
More About Manga Piracy
This surge in manga piracy detailed by MUSO comes on the heels of arrests just last week of two individuals accused of leaking Weekly Shonen Jump chapters.
In response, multiple major illegal scanlation sites and Discord channels dealing with popular ongoing series including One Piece and Jujutsu Kaisen preemptively shut down, likely expecting police scrutiny.
The 224.9 billion piracy site visits are likely to encompass the illegal distribution of webcomics and Korean manhwa as well.
For example, Korean publisher Kakao Entertainment recently forced the closure of the manga reader app Tachiyomi and aided U.S. authorities in apprehending a web novel piracy site owner.
Contrastingly, the $675 million in sales last year for the legal Japanese manga app Piccoma demonstrates the massive popularity and growth potential of the medium.
Legal publishers are trying varied anti-piracy approaches from lawsuits to offering free licensed chapters.
The ultimate goal is converting even a small portion of those visiting piracy sites into paying customers.
However, the sheer scale of estimated lost revenues and traffic indicates major lingering barriers to stemming illegal channels and getting fans to access content only through legitimate platforms.
Overcoming ongoing piracy remains imperative for publishers to find profitability and for creators to sustain their careers.
Takedowns offer temporary relief, but assessing broader strategies in this challenging landscape persists.
