In a very significant blow to global manga and manhwa piracy, Bato.to known as one of the most trafficked unauthorized comic sites has gone dark, along with roughly 60 affiliated domains including xbato.com and mangapark.io. Japan's Content Overseas Distribution Association (CODA) announced Thursday that a joint effort with Chinese authorities resulted in the detention of a man in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region suspected of running the network since at least 2018 (CODA traces origins to 2014). The suspect has reportedly admitted involvement and faces formal indictment soon, though he was released on bail pending charges.
Bato.to illegally hosted Japanese manga, Korean manhwa, and Chinese manhua, offering fan translations in over 50 languages, primarily English. CODA estimates peak monthly ad revenue exceeded 400,000 RMB (~$57,500 USD), with combined sites hitting 350 million monthly visits in May 2025 and 7.2 billion total from October 2022–October 2025. All sites ceased operation by January 19, 2026, with shutdown notices posted on social media.
The investigation began in July 2024 when Japan's "Five-Publisher Manga Piracy Countermeasures Meeting" flagged Bato.to. CODA designated it a priority target, partnering with cybersecurity firms and ethical hackers for open-source intelligence. Upon discovering Chinese services, CODA hired a local investigative firm, then filed a criminal complaint September 25 with Shanghai Public Security Bureau on behalf of publishers Kadokawa, Kodansha, Shueisha, Shogakukan, and Square Enix. Tencent-affiliated China Literature Limited joined after confirming infringement, noting the site geo-blocked China to mask domestic violations.
NTT Solmare (operator of legal platform MangaPlaza) reported that their daily sales roughly doubled post-shutdown, illustrating piracy's direct impact on legitimate revenue.
Separately, Kakao Entertainment's Global Anti-Piracy Task Force (P.CoK) pressured Bato.to's Discord and subreddit into shutdown or restricted status, as reported by TorrentFreak on January 23. P.CoK tracked the founder, issued cease-and-desist letters to moderators and affiliates, and is preparing legal action against Mangapark and others. CODA clarified its Chinese detention effort was independent of Kakao's community takedowns.
CODA's anti-piracy push continues internationally. In March 2025, it aided Liaoning Province authorities in arresting a Zzzfun operator for anime/manhua infringement. In 2024, CODA worked with Brazilian police to shutter 16 anime piracy sites. Kakao's P.CoK blocked ~240 million piracy cases from July-December 2024 alone, per its March 2025 white paper, underscoring escalating efforts against webtoon/manhwa leaks.
The takedown removes a major free-rider from the ecosystem, but CODA warns other operators and translators remain active worldwide. Investigations continue through global cooperation. For readers, the closure highlights piracy's real costs of lost creator revenue and legal risk while boosting visibility for official platforms like MangaPlaza, WEBTOON, Tapas, and Viz.
What are your thoughts on the news? Do you think this is a big enough blow to help stop piracy? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!