Anime Piracy Crackdown Delivers Sentence in Spy x Family Case

It has been said there is no room for piracy in anime unless you're One Piece. For decades, the industry has been plagued by pirates, and the digital landscape has only broadened piracy. As anime has become more accessible thanks to official services so too has piracy. However, a band of studios in Japan have started cracking down on this kind of crime, and a new report from Japan proves the initiative isn't kidding.

The news comes from Asahi as the Japanese news site reported on an ongoing case overseas. As reported by a local court in Japan, a man has been sentenced after being arrested for uploading anime and gaming content to YouTube. The court handed down a two-year jail sentence to the man as well as a 1 million yen fine and additional license suspension.

If you are not familiar with the case, Asahi reports the Japanese man shared edited videos of Spy x Family on YouTube and monetized them. He also shared footage from the ending of Steins;Gate: My Darling's Existence, a visual novel tied to the popular anime. While in court, the copyright holders for these titles said the accused "negatively impacted" their sales. The companies argue the videos spoiled potential customers, and they wanted the man punished for pirating the content.

As you can imagine, this case has caught the attention of the global anime fandom. It isn't an exaggeration to say many anime fans got into the community by watching series on YouTube. Back in the day, shows like Naruto were often shared on YouTube and cut into multiple parts as they weren't streaming overseas in any official way. That history is worn like a badge of honor for some, but that is no longer the case for new fans.

After all, much of the anime put out in Japan has found its way to streaming in some official capacity. Services like Crunchyroll, Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, and even Amazon Prime are invested in the industry. As the medium looks to expand, its top studios are willing to do whatever it takes to batten down piracy, and this latest legal update proves as much.

What do you make of this latest move against piracy? Do you believe the industry's efforts to curb piracy are working? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!