Spoiler Site Operators Arrested in Japan for Copyright Infringement

Miyagi Prefectural Police Arrest Three for Operating "Spoiler" Website

On October 29, 2023, Miyagi Prefectural Police arrested three individuals associated with a Tokyo-based company operating a "spoiler" website. The arrests were made on suspicion of violating the Copyright Law.

The suspects, identified as Wataru Takeuchi (38), Shuichi Hirata (33), and Rihito Baba (45), are accused of transcribing lines from popular anime and movies and posting them on their website along with screenshots of scenes. This is believed to be the first instance of arrests related to a "spoiler" website in Japan.

The Dumpster Battle" and "Godzilla Minus One."

From January 2023 to February 2023, the website published these transcriptions along with descriptions of characters, scenes, and screenshots. Police estimate that the actions of the suspects infringed upon the copyrights of 12 companies.

The investigation was initiated after officers from the Tome Police Station discovered the website during a cyber patrol in October 2023. Police believe that Takeuchi and Hirata hired Baba and other freelance writers to create the articles and generated revenue from advertising on the site.

The Content Overseas Distribution Association (CODA), a non-profit organization dedicated to combating piracy, played a crucial role in assisting the investigation. CODA representatives emphasized that this is the first time spoiler site operators have been arrested in Japan.

While fans sharing spoilers on online forums remains common, CODA has observed a recent increase in malicious actors operating dedicated spoiler websites for commercial gain.

"Compared to piracy sites that directly upload copyrighted content, the degree of copyright infringement may seem less severe," a CODA representative stated. "However, this is undoubtedly an illegal act that exceeds the scope of permissible quotation."

CODA urges individuals to exercise caution and avoid visiting such websites.

Kadokawa Corp., the copyright holder of "Overlord III," issued a statement on October 30 condemning spoiler sites. The company stated that these sites "impede the return of appropriate compensation to creators and lead to the deterioration of the creative environment for future works.