The first order by a U.S. court to disclose the information of a source in relation to leaks concerning Japanese anime.
In June 2024, Aniplex Inc. and TOHO CO., LTD., both members of CODA, filed a request with a U.S. court for the disclosure of information concerning so-called leak accounts that obtain anime before TV broadcast or online distribution and post them on social media. Regarding this matter, on August 20, the court issued an order for the disclosure of information, and the delivery process was carried out on August 30.
Several accounts, reported by CODA member companies, posted videos and still images, which were not supposed to be publicly accessible before the broadcast or distribution of the anime ‘ Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba,’ copyrighted by Aniplex Inc. and others, and ‘Jujutsu Kaisen,’ copyrighted by Toho Co., Ltd. and others, on the social media platform ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) without the consent of the rights holders. These posts were widely disseminated and accumulated a large number of views.
CODA, after being consulted, cooperated in this request for disclosure by collecting information and evidence regarding these accounts.
Notably, this case is the first instance of obtaining a court order for the disclosure of the information in relation to leaks concerning Japanese anime in a U.S. court.
CODA has also received consultations regarding similar damages involving other anime and is currently gathering further information and evidence. CODA will continue to work in coordination with the affected rights holders and respond appropriately based on the information disclosed about the account holders, seeking strict penalties against such leak accounts.
(translated by automatic translation system)
ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー
About CODA
CODA (Content Overseas Distribution Association) was established in 2002 at the call of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Agency for Cultural Affairs to promote the overseas development of Japanese content and take anti-piracy measures. Japan’s proud content, including music, movies, anime, broadcast programs, video games, and publishing, plays an important role in enhancing the nation’s international presence and economic growth. As digital technology becomes more widespread, it is even more significant to protect Japan’s content from increasingly artful copyright infringement and promote the content industry’s development. CODA contributes to the deterrence and detection of online and other piracy, by sharing knowledge with relevant government agencies, organizations, and companies in Japan and abroad, to engage in direct and indirect anti-piracy measures, as well as public relations activities. Visit https://coda-cj.jp/en/activity/ for more information on CODA’s projects.