Big advocates of film, television, music and the streaming industry are also getting on board. The Motion Picture Association of the United States has six powerhouse members including; Netflix, Disney, and Paramount. There are approximately four-hundred and fifty members of the Music Copyright Society of China involved in this project, and copyright protection groups from Vietnam and South Korea are expected to take part in the coalition as well.
At the core of the new organization is Japan’s Content Overseas Distribution Association (CODA). There are currently thirty-two Japanese companies involved such as; Bandai Namco Arts, Shueisha, Shogakukan, and Kodansha. According to a report from Authorized Books of Japan, an organization which keeps tabs on legal and illegal manga, it’s estimated that billions of dollars worth of content have been pirated online.
A two-year global search for the manager of Manga-Mura, a manga piracy website, ended recently when the authorities finally caught up with the head administrator in Manila. Romi Hoshino, a Japanese citizen, was tried in June 2021, and found guilty of copyright violation. Unfortunately, and somewhat predictably, it wasn’t long before new websites rose to fill the void in pirated manga.
Japan takes anti-piracy seriously, and it seems that the rest of the world is in agreement; it’s time to strengthen awareness, advocacy, and protection.
This is where the newly formed IAPO comes in.
Their main objective is to curb the piracy of anime, manga and all other forms of original content, as well as, assist law enforcement with criminal investigations. Due to the global reach of the internet and vast differences in anti-piracy laws, those criminal investigations can be challenging, and often require cooperation from law enforcement in multiple countries.
An avid book reader and proud library card holder, Angela is new to the world of e-Readers. She has a background in education, emergency response, fitness, loves to be in nature, traveling and exploring. With an honours science degree in anthropology, Angela also studied writing after graduation. She has contributed work to The London Free Press, The Gazette, The Londoner, Best Version Media, Lifeliner, and Citymedia.ca.
