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A Tokyo court has fined a man 500,000 yen for translating Shonen Jump titles and leaking them to the world before their official release.
The individual, whose identity has not been disclosed, was caught by authorities after it was discovered that he had been translating popular Shonen Jump manga from Japanese to English without permission from the copyright holders.
These unauthorized translations were then shared on social media platforms, potentially reaching global audiences and fueling piracy websites.
In a statement, Shueisha Inc., the publisher of Weekly Shonen Jump, emphasized the significance of the ruling.
“It was discovered that the man had been translating manga from Japanese to English without authorization prior to the magazine’s release. The unauthorized translations were subsequently distributed worldwide through social media and may have also been supplied to overseas piracy websites. The confirmation of guilt regarding these unauthorized translation activities holds significant meaning,” the company stated.
This case is part of a larger crackdown on unauthorized manga distribution.
Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs has also announced plans to develop an artificial intelligence-based system to identify and target unauthorized sites hosting manga and anime.
Source: ACCS
