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A man operating the anime pirate website ZzzFun, which distributed Japanese anime and other copyrighted material, was arrested by the Public Security Bureau of Shijiazhuang in Hebei Province, China on Feb 11, 2025.
The legal action against ZzzFun was triggered by a criminal complaint lodged in May 2024 by CODA’s Beijing Office.
CODA acted on behalf of a coalition of thirteen prominent Japanese companies, including Aniplex Inc., KADOKAWA Corporation, King Records Co., Ltd., Kodansha Ltd., Shogakukan Inc., Square Enix Co., Ltd., TV Tokyo Corporation, Toei Animation Co., Ltd., Toho Co., Ltd., Nikkatsu Corporation, Happinet Phantom Studios Co., Ltd., Fuji Television Network, Inc., and Pony Canyon Inc.
These companies utilized CODA’s Rights Holders Inquiry Database, established in March 2023, to verify the copyright infringement and to facilitate the preparation of the criminal complaint.
The suspect, who is from the Liaoning Province, had been operating the ZzzFun website (zzzfun.one) and its associated Android mobile application since 2022. This was revealed in the investigation which was initiated after a search of his home on Oct 15, 2024.
Interrogations revealed that he had illegally distributed approximately 1,800 episodes of Japanese anime without proper authorization, amassing an estimated 330,000 yuan (approximately 7 million yen) in advertising revenue before his apprehension.
The operator also directed users from the website to download the mobile application.
This case highlighted a growing concern within the Japanese content industry, where piracy operations based outside Japan target audiences in foreign countries.
The Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters in Japan had identified this trend as a critical issue in its Intellectual Property Promotion Plan 2024, emphasizing the need for robust countermeasures.
CODA, established in 2002 by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) and the Agency for Cultural Affairs, plays a crucial role in combating piracy and promoting the global distribution of Japanese content, encompassing anime, manga, music, films, games, and TV programs. The organization works with various agencies and companies to implement anti-piracy measures and public awareness campaigns.
Source: CODA
