Pirate Websites: Company Aiding Distribution Also Bears Heavy Responsibility |
Editorial
15:48 JST, November 20, 2025
It was the first judicial ruling to indicate that responsibility for illegally showing manga online without permission extends not only to the operators of pirate websites but also to companies that aid in their distribution.
A ruling has been handed down on a lawsuit filed by four leading Japanese publishers, including Kodansha Ltd., against U.S. information technology company Cloudflare, Inc., seeking combined damages totaling about ¥500 million. The plaintiffs claimed that Cloudflare had spread manga data on pirate sites and infringed their copyrights. The Tokyo District Court has ordered payment of nearly the full amount they sought.
Cloudflare has installed its own servers worldwide, providing........