Pirate Websites: Company Aiding Distribution Also Bears Heavy Responsibility

Editorial

15:48 JST, November 20, 2025

It was the first judicial ruling to indicate that responsibility for illegally showing manga online without permission extends not only to the operators of pirate websites but also to companies that aid in their distribution.

A ruling has been handed down on a lawsuit filed by four leading Japanese publishers, including Kodansha Ltd., against U.S. information technology company Cloudflare, Inc., seeking combined damages totaling about ¥500 million. The plaintiffs claimed that Cloudflare had spread manga data on pirate sites and infringed their copyrights. The Tokyo District Court has ordered payment of nearly the full amount they sought.

Cloudflare has installed its own servers worldwide, providing services that facilitate smooth access to data on various websites. This function is considered essential to prevent concentrated access to sites and reduce communications loads.

The pirate sites distributed 4,000 manga works, including the popular series “One Piece,” via Cloudflare’s servers. The ruling acknowledged that Cloudflare could have recognized the rights infringement, and determined that the company “aided the rights infringement by the site operators.”

The ruling is significant in that it recognizes the responsibility of a distribution service provider that facilitated illegal acts, even if it was not the direct operator of the pirate sites.

Prior to filing the lawsuit, the publishers repeatedly demanded that Cloudflare cease its services for the pirate sites, but it did not soon comply with the demand. The ruling also noted that “terminating the services could have helped avoid the rights infringement.”

Rampant pirate sites prevent manga artists and publishers from receiving fair compensation, severely affecting their creative activities. The ruling likely took seriously this situation in which the development of publishing culture could be inhibited.

Damage caused by pirate sites is severe. Over 900 illegal sites carry Japanese manga and novels, receiving 2.8 billion page views per month. Estimated losses from people accessing works for free reportedly reach ¥8.5 trillion annually.

Distribution service operators, such as Cloudflare, need to adopt a strict stance against illegal sites. When receiving reports of damage, it is essential for them to take such measures as investigating the facts and suspending services.

Major platforms that freely allow the opening of a wide variety of sites cannot escape responsibility either.

Regarding the pirate site called Mangamura, which became the center of a social issue in 2018, its Japanese former operator faced criminal charges, as well as civil liability. However, it is difficult to uncover the acts of operators based overseas, leading to a situation in which illegal sites persist unabated.

There is an urgent need to strengthen cooperation among investigative organizations of various countries and establish a mechanism to swiftly uncover such operators.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Nov. 20, 2025)