Japan has revealed significant progress in its fight against anime piracy globally, according to a recent report on the progress of the “Operation Animes“an international collaboration with the Brazilian authorities. The Content Overseas Distribution Association (CODA), which is charged with combating piracy, published its most recent report on August 26, 2024, detailing the achievements of the second phase of this operation in Brazil. The first phase of the initiative resulted in the closure of 36 pirate sites dedicated to anime.
Since September 2023, CODA has been implementing the second phase of the program, which has resulted in the closure of 16 additional sites. Notable achievements include the closure of three pirate sites following criminal charges filed by Toei Animation, Toho and Bandai Namco Filmworks. Since March 2024, CODA has used a tactic known as “knock-and-talk,” which involves conducting raids and persuading pirate site operators to cease their activities and cooperate with authorities. These actions have resulted in the closure of 13 sites.
CODA reported that over the past three months, the 16 closed sites had accumulated an average of 21 million hits, equivalent to approximately seven million monthly visits and more than 100 million in total. Of these, 11 sites were voluntarily handed over through negotiations, redirecting traffic to a CODA page with the message: “THIS WEBSITE HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT.” Although the remaining five sites have also been shut down, CODA is still in negotiations with their operators to transfer control of the domains.
The report also provides updates on the raids carried out by Brazilian police in April this year against anime piracy sites. During these operations, 11 search and seizure warrants were executed, and the Brazilian government confirmed that at least two sites had been blocked or suspended. This figure has increased as negotiations progressed.
This year has seen significant global efforts to curb piracy. This week alone, more than 10 major pirated anime sites, including Aniwave, were shut down, affecting sites with a cumulative traffic of over 250 million monthly visits. On some of these sites, a message thanking fans for their support was displayed, along with an unexpected call to use legal services to consume anime.
