Earlier this week, dozens of the world's most popular anime piracy websites were shutdown. AniWave (AnimeWave), AnimeSuga, and 123Anime were just a few of the dozen top-visited piracy websites that closed seemingly overnight, with little to no explanation.
This week, we finally learned who was responsible for the worldwide operation. The Japanese anti-piracy association CODA (Content Overseas Distribution Association) is leading an international collaboration with Brazilian law enforcement called "Operation Animes."
A new report from CODA details the ongoing battle with anime piracy. The first phase of "Operation Animes" actually began in early 2023 and resulted in the closure of 36 anime pirating sites.
The second phase has been underway since September 2023 and has resulted in the closure of another 16 sites, including AniWave (AnimeWave), AnimeSuga, and 123Anime, and more. Toei Animation, Toho, and Bandai Namco Filmworks actually filed criminal charges through CODA against several piracy websites in Brazil that infringe on Japanese anime. Three of the site takedowns were reportedly a result of these criminal charges.
The report details the 16 sites that have been shut down as part of the second phase of "Operation Animes." Direct negotiations were conducted with site operators from March 2024, "resulting in the closure of a total of 13 sites, including animeshouse.net, animesbr.cc, and meuanime.io, as well as 10 related sites, bringing the total number of sites closed as a result of CODA's involvement this time to 16."
All of this coincides with "Operation 404," a Brazilian antipiracy initiative that launched in 2019 with the goal of ceasing the operations of piracy sites, apps, and social media accounts. While it's likely an impossible task to fully end anime piracy, this second phase was a huge win for the industry. The report claims that the average number of visitors to these 16 sites over the past three months (November 2023 to January 2024) was approximately 21 million, "making them among the top 20 anime infringement sites in Brazil during the same period."
"We would like fans of Japanese content to be aware that watching pirated sites and illegally uploaded videos harms the interests of creators and rights holders who create works, and destroys the content creation cycle," CODA wrote in its report. "We would like fans to recognize that manga and anime will continue to evolve if they enjoy content properly, and for that reason, we will continue to actively promote our business with the aim of creating a healthy market where legitimate content can be delivered to fans overseas."
As of right now, eleven of the sites that were voluntarily surrendered by their operators now redirect to a CODA page announcing their closure. While a big win for the anti-piracy organization and the industry as a whole, one has to wonder how truly effective it will be in the long run. Everyone knows that piracy websites are a dime a dozen and when one is shut down, seemingly dozens more pop up.