Anime: Brazil, Japan & Korea Execute Anti-Piracy Raid on 11 Homes
Several anime and webtoon piracy site operators were recently arrested as part of a joint operation between Brazilian law enforcement, Japanese, and Korean anti-piracy agencies.
Brazil's Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP) reported on April 25, 2024, that it had carried out the second phase of Operation Animes, designed to "repress crimes committed against property intellectual on the Internet, specifically in relation to the variety of Japanese and Korean animations known respectively as 'Animes' [sic] and 'Webtoon.'" This phase involved executing 11 search and seizure warrants, resulting in two sites being "blocked and/or suspended, in addition to content being deindexed from search engines."
Operation Animes was coordinated by the MJSP's Directorate of Integrated Operations and Intelligence (DIOPI), in cooperation with the Japanese anti-piracy unit CODA and the Korean equivalent COA. The report added that if convicted, the arrested parties may be further charged with criminal association and money laundering, and will, at the minimum, face imprisonment of 2-4 years, a fine and a further charge.
Japan and Korea Have Been Extremely Active in Recent Anime, Manga & Webtoon Anti-Piracy Efforts
Both Japan and Korea have been incredibly active in cracking down on piracy, domestically as well as overseas. Kakao Entertainment's aggressive approach toward the popular Tachiyomi reading platform forced the owners to end development on the site completely. The company also coordinated with police to arrest operators behind a web novel and manhwa site last year