In recent years, the consumption of Anime has experienced exponential global growth. This has turned the international market into an area of great interest for Japanese producers and distributors. Part of this boost is due to the facilities and amenities offered by streaming platforms. These allow the most recent series to be broadcast simultaneously with Japan. companies like Crunchyroll, , Netflix and Amazon Prime VIDEO They have an important role. However, the pirate anime phenomenon has also gained relevance.
However, the other side of this boom is a worrying proliferation of pirate sites. These continue to distribute unlicensed series and generate millions of dollars in revenue through the sale of advertising spaces. Faced with this problem, the Japanese industry has decided to redouble efforts. They are taking those responsible for the stratospheric losses before the authorities. The results are already beginning to be noticed.
According to a report recently published by the Content overseas distribution association (d)coda), copyright infringement notices (known as Takedown notices or notifications DMCA) aimed at illegal streaming sites to watch pirate anime have increased considerably during 2024. The pressure against piracy is intensified on a global scale. There are data that reveal both significant advances and alarming resistances from some known portals. Especially gogoanime and 9Anime.
Social networks respond, pirate sites do not
One of the highlights of the report is the high compliance rate. social media platforms and video services such as Facebook, , YouTube, , TikTok, , Google and Vimeo They are outstanding. These companies have responded with elimination rates greater than 94% after receiving thousands of requests for elimination from rights holders. Facebook, for example, eliminated almost 94% of the indicated contents. This was after receiving more than 176,000 applications in 2024. TikTok and Google They even exceeded 99% compliance.
This commitment demonstrates how large tech corporations have begun to take on greater responsibility for the problem of digital hacking to stop websites to watch pirate anime. This is largely due to the pressure exerted by associations such as CODA and international intellectual property laws.
However, at the other end are the specialized anime streaming platforms without a license. Here, the legal efforts seem to have no impact. Among the most important are gogoanime, , 9Anime, , Dramacool, , voiranime and anitubebiz. According to the report of coda, , gogoanime ignored almost 40,000 removal requests, while 9Anime left more than 11,000 notifications unanswered. other portals like Dramacool, , voiranime, and anitubebiz They accumulated more than 48,000 collectively ignored requests.
Domain changes and evasive strategies
Even though some of these sites have stopped operating under their original names, many remain active under new URLs. This makes effective application of copyright laws difficult. This digital “skin change” phenomenon represents a constant obstacle. Pirate site operators simply migrate their content to new domains after being detected. Organizations seeking to stop piracy face this challenge.
In addition, many of these sites are hosted in countries with lax or non-collaborative legislation on intellectual property. This further complicates its final closure. Although they are already in the sights of companies to take advantage of any carelessness to initiate legal measures. Companies expect to act in the countries where the proprietary members of each illegal website reside.
The Crunchyroll Case: From Pirate to a Legal Anime Giant
One of the most paradigmatic examples of how a platform can evolve from piracy to legitimacy is Crunchyroll. Founded in 2006 as a site that hosted anime without licenses, Crunchyroll It achieved a radical change in its business model starting in 2009. It was then that it began to sign official agreements with Japanese distributors.
The former editor DE Dragon Ball and ex-CEO of Shueisha, Kazuhiko Toshima, recently revealed that one of the first steps to combat piracy was precisely to convert Crunchyroll in an ally. “There was a pirate site called Crunchyroll, and we reached an agreement so that they could transmit Naruto”he said. This strategic move was key to legitimizing the platform. Crunchyroll currently holds distribution rights for more than 2,000 anime titles.
today, Crunchyroll Not only has he become the main reference for legal anime outside of Japan. It has also shown that it is possible to redirect piracy towards sustainable models. These models benefit both creators and consumers.
United States, leader in manga piracy
Parallel to the growth of removal requests on anime platforms, another report revealed an important piece of information. United states It is the number one country in consumption of manga hacked online. This statistic highlights an important paradox. While the US market is one of the most lucrative for the manga and anime industry, it is also one of the most active in terms of copyright infringements.
This phenomenon can be explained in part by delays in the official content location, access prices, or simultaneous availability with Japan. However, initiatives such as the expansion of legal digital reading services are beginning to reduce that gap. Examples of these services are manga plus of Shueisha or the app Viz Media.
A fight that is still far from over
Despite the advances made in social platforms and the transforming example of Crunchyroll, the path to a significant eradication of piracy in the anime is still long. The immediate consumption culture remains a challenge. The lack of intellectual property education and the accessibility offered by pirate sites are still attractive to many users. This is especially true in regions where legal access is limited or expensive.
the report of coda It is a wake-up call for both authorities and consumers. Effective removal of pirate content requires international collaboration and legal reforms. Technological investment in detection of unauthorized content is also essential. In addition, a cultural change in consumption habits is needed.
