Japan has achieved significant progress in its global fight against anime piracy, as revealed in a new report on “Operation Animes,” an international collaboration with Brazilian law enforcement.
The Content Overseas Distribution Association (CODA), Japan’s leading anti-piracy group, released an update on August 26, 2024, detailing the second phase of “Operation Animes” in Brazil. The first phase successfully closed 36 anime piracy sites. Since September 2023, the operation has moved into its second phase, leading to the closure of 16 additional sites. This effort has been driven by criminal charges from prominent industry players, including Toei Animation, Toho, and Bandai Namco Filmworks.
CODA’s strategy, known as “knock-and-talk,” involves directly confronting operators of illegal sites, urging them to cease their activities and cooperate with authorities. Since March 2024, this method has resulted in the shutdown of 13 sites. In total, the second phase of the operation has closed 16 anime piracy sites.
The impact of these shutdowns is substantial. CODA estimates that the 16 sites collectively received approximately 21 million visits over three months, amounting to seven million visits per month and over 100 million in total. Notably, 11 of these sites were voluntarily surrendered, with their domains now redirecting to a CODA page displaying a clear message: “THIS WEBSITE HAS BEEN CLOSED DUE TO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT.” The remaining five sites have also been shut down, but negotiations with their operators are ongoing to fully transfer site access to authorities.
The report also highlights recent actions by Brazilian police, who executed 11 search and seizure warrants in April. The Brazilian government initially reported that two sites had been blocked or suspended, a number that has since increased following further negotiations.
This year has seen intensified global efforts to combat anime piracy. In a major operation just this week, over 10 prominent anime piracy sites, including Aniwave, were shut down, accounting for over 250 million monthly page visits. Some of these sites even displayed messages thanking fans for their support while urging them to switch to legal streaming services.