The past few years have seen the manga community suffer from websites that pirate the work of other creators, for people to view online for free. Over the past couple of years, Japan has been working hard at bringing down sites that freely post the manga created by hard-working creators. Another issue that was created due to pirating is "leech sites."
"Leech sites" act as websites that give links to access the pirated content at one of the many available sites, via message boards. As time has passed and the situation worsened, the Japanese government has been hard at work at creating a legal deterrent to quell the situation. Luckily, that solution is finally here!
The revised copyright laws cover a lot of bases to keep the situation from growing. These new laws include stricter laws against those who knowingly upload and download pirated manga and other works similar. These laws will officially be in effect on the first of the new year.
The previously mentions "leech sites" will also be banned on October 1st; along with the pasting of new sites or development of "leech apps". While downloading a few frames of manga will not be considered a crime, the full chapter or story is an entirely different situation. It also stands to note that any fan fictions and similarly created works will not be considered apart of the law, making it okay to download and share.
As for the punishments, those who are repeat offenders will either serve two years in jail or a fine of 2 million yen ($18,274USD) or a combination of the two. Operators of "leech sites" will serve up to five years and be fined 5 million yen ($45,686USD) or both punishments together.
These new laws will help to keep the creators of these beloved stories paid the proper amount that they deserve for the hard work they put in to make their readers happy and entertained. This law will change a lot in the world of manga and piracy, once it is fully in effect. Don't forget to share your thoughts on the topic in the usual spot!
The new copyright laws will go into effect in 2021!
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