Reading manga online on dodgy websites may be convenient, but it often comes at a hidden cost unknown to the consumer. One of these websites was Mangamura; although it shut down in April 2018, the hammer was yet to strike.
Kodansha and other publishers filed a lawsuit against Mangamura in 2017 on behalf of Eichiro Oda (One Piece) and Hajime Isayama (Attack on Titan).
Multiple arrests followed this in 2018, and the final verdict has finally come.
Romi Hoshino, a.k.a. Zakay Romi, the alleged administrator of manga piracy site Mangamura, was found guilty of copyright infringement charges and hiding criminal proceeds by the Fukuoka District Court.
The guilty man was sentenced to three years in prison with a fine of 10 million yen (about US$ 91,000) and a further 62 million yen (about US$564,700) in back taxes.
Mangakas often overwork themselves to keep up with their grueling schedules. Due to this, the story or their art suffers greatly.
Quite often, their commitment to their work is not rewarded. With shit pay and copyright revenue being their only sources of income, illegal manga websites are the bane of their existence.
The pirated manga website has been believed to have caused 319.2 billion yen worth of damages to copyright holders, according to Japan’s Content Overseas Distribution Association (CODA).
Hopefully, the shutdown of shady websites like MangaRock and Mangamura gives mangaka and publishers some peace of mind.
Although it is almost impossible to eradicate piracy, verdicts and bans like this are undoubtedly a step in the right direction.
Source: TV Asahi News
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