The Japanese government has announced its support for a new, ambitious project aimed at tackling the growing issue of online anime and manga piracy. In a recent decision, the government allocated approximately 300 million yen (roughly US$2 million) to develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered detection system designed to counter the rise of pirated content on the internet.
According to NHK, the Agency for Cultural Affairs will oversee the development of the AI system, which aims to improve the identification and removal of pirated anime and manga content. The system will be trained to recognize various elements commonly found on piracy sites, such as the layout and advertisements, along with images of copyrighted works. This technology will streamline the process for rights holders to request the removal of such content online.
The new initiative comes in response to the increasing difficulty of manually detecting and removing pirated content. A spokesperson for the Agency for Cultural Affairs explained, “There are limitations to finding pirated sites with the human eye, as it takes time and cost. We would like to develop effective countermeasures to reduce pirated sites and protect rights holders.”
The move is expected to result in a significant increase in DMCA takedown requests. Google’s recent Transparency Report revealed that major companies in the anime industry, including VIZ Media, Toei Animation, and Aniplex of America, have been among the largest contributors to such requests. Google released this data to illustrate the impact of copyright enforcement on content access via Google Search, amid increasing pressures from piracy-related subpoenas.
This AI initiative is the latest in a series of anti-piracy efforts by the anime industry. Similar strategies have been adopted by platforms like WEBTOON, which developed a proprietary technology called Toon Radar. This system embeds invisible information into webtoons to trace the source of pirated content. WEBTOON has been aggressive in its fight against piracy, recently closing 70 piracy sites responsible for over 1.2 billion annual visits and suing individuals for up to $700,000 in damages.
In addition, the anime industry itself is employing similar tactics. Aniplex and Toho recently secured subpoenas from X (formerly Twitter) to identify users suspected of leaking content. This was made possible through the embedding of invisible watermarks and false credits in TV episodes, which can be traced if they appear online before official streaming releases. While this method has proven effective in tracking leaks, it has also raised concerns about the possibility of flagging innocent individuals who may have inadvertently shared pirated content.
The Japanese government’s new AI tracker aligns with these ongoing efforts but raises questions about potential overreach. If the AI system is not carefully calibrated, it could mistakenly flag legitimate websites or content, echoing the concerns raised by the industry’s past use of watermarking technology.
As the anime and manga industries continue to battle piracy, the development of this AI system marks a significant step in their ongoing efforts to protect intellectual property and ensure fair access to content.
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