Major Anime Piracy Website Suddenly Stops Adding New Content

Piracy sites focused on Asian content, and especially on anime, have been hit hard recently, and one major site has just stopped adding new content. Many fans watch anime that One Piece on illegal websites, sometimes unaware that they are viewing pirated content (especially the younger audience). Japanese companies, including publishers and studios, have been fighting digital piracy for years. Many of them have worked with the Japanese government to shut down piracy websites.

The creation of CODA (Content Overseas Distribution Association), a Japanese anti-piracy association that includes major companies such as Shueisha, Aniplex, Avex, Kadokawa, Cygames, Shogakukan, Toei, Ghibli, TV Tokyo and many others, is part of these efforts. CODA's efforts include working with several countries to shut down websites. CODA later formed a coalition called the International Anti-Piracy Organization, which included major international players such as Disney, Paramount and Neflix. The Korean government has also cooperated in anti-piracy efforts.

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A few days ago, GoGo Anime, also known as Anitaku, stopped adding new content. So far, the site's owner/operators have not commented on the matter. Something similar happened to FMovies (whose chain of sites included 9anime/AniWave) earlier this year. They stopped adding content and a few weeks later they shut down the site. It is possible that the same thing will happen with GoGo Anime/Anitaku.

GoGo Anime and Anitaku not only have over a hundred million monthly visits, but their content is mirrored by several other anime piracy sites, so this freeze (and a potential suspension) is a huge blow to anime piracy, as it will affect many other sites.

Other digital piracy sites were recently affected

Both have been linked to Dramacool, an Asian entertainment piracy chain that is facing copyright pressure and shutting down many websites. And it's not just then. AnimeFenix, a well-known anime piracy site for Spanish-speaking audiences, was also shut down this week. In this case, the operators left a note announcing the shutdown, also accusing Sony of forming an anime monopoly and also state-owned enterprises having “more greed than heart.”

Companies, on the other hand, hope these regulatory measures will drive fans to legal streaming platforms. Righthlders claim that piracy costs them billions of dollars a year.

Given what has happened in the past, legal options will likely cause an increase in their influx, but other piracy sites may also get a boost, as this problem is not so easy to solve. The anime industry is not the only one fighting against piracy, and this is an old issue that can even be involved in geopolitical issues.

What might have been going on

So far, it is unclear what happens in GoGo Anime and Anitaku. Not only have operators not said a word, but no anti-piracy coalition/organization has claimed involvement in the investigations. Given that operators do not even contact Discord moderators, it is possible that they may have been arrested, but no reports of recent anti-piracy operations resulting in arrests have reached international newspapers.

Source: TorrentFreak