Manga Piracy is Such a Huge Deal in Japan That Publishers Have Lost a Whopping Amount of Money: It’s in the Multi-billion Range
It is no secret that a majority of Manga readers use pirated sites to read their favorite mangas. However, this has led manga writers and the manga industry to suffer massively in their revenue. So much so that the revenue lost over the tenure of the last 5 years is in terms of billions of dollars.
These colossal losses have had quite a surge ever since the pandemic. However, over the past few years, the Authorities have been taking action to shut down pirated manga websites. Here is how much illegal manga websites have cost the Japanese publishers and how have started to combat the piracy of their mangas since the pandemic.
How pirated websites have affected the Manga Industry
The Authorized Books of Japan (ABJ) was trademarked as a means to help readers get clarity on distinguishing the legal from illegal websites that distribute mangas online. According to ABJ, Japanese Publishers have lost an approximate of 1.3 billion USD in the year 2020, 7.5 Billion USD in 2021, 3.2 billion USD in 2022 & around 2.4 billion USD in 2023. The figure does seem to be decreasing as the years go by and it can all be credited to the intense crackdowns that are being conducted.
Shueisha and Viz Media, major figures in the Japanese manga industry decided to take legal against Manganato and Manganelo as they were found to have uploaded quite a large number of copyrighted materials on their pirated websites.
Other pirated websites such as Mangamura and 13DL were also shut down in recent times with Mangaruma ordered by the Tokyo District Court to pay a hefty sum of 14.3 million USD to Shogakukan, Kadokawa, and Shueisha for illegally distributing 17 of their works.
Despite this, the Authorized Books of Japan have reported another 1100+ pirated websites which are not only active but have flourished around the end of 2023. However the actions of these illegal websites not only affect the manga industries but also the creative minds being the work.
How pirating materials affect the mangaka
In 2018, a popular shonen Jump manga artist, known by the pen name Hiroyuki Takei, the author of Shaman King, spoke out about the struggles of new artists. He mentioned how rampant piracy discourages publishers from taking risks on fresh talent. With fewer sales and less guaranteed income, publishers become hesitant to invest in unproven creators. This makes it even harder for aspiring mangaka to break into the industry, making the dream of sharing their stories a distant one.
Imagine pouring your heart and soul into a story, only to see it floating around for free online. That’s exactly what happened to Yumi Tamura, the creator of the acclaimed manga “Basara.” In an interview, she expressed her concerns at the impact of piracy, explaining how lost sales directly affect her ability to create new chapters and support her team of assistants. This financial strain can be incredibly demotivating for mangaka, potentially leading to delays or even cancellations of beloved series.
Piracy also leads to Manga Industries losing billions of revenue each year. The hit in generating income from the mangas affects the quality and speed of production, potentially delaying releases or forcing creators to cut corners. Ultimately, the fans who choose legal platforms end up suffering too, as they have to wait longer or deal with a less polished final product.
You can read mangas legally in websites such as Shueisha, Viz Media, Shogakukan, Kadokawa, and Shueisha
