Japanese Publishers Secure Victory in Cloudflare Copyright Case

Cloudflare Found Liable in Copyright Infringement Case

In a significant ruling from the Tokyo District Court, major Japanese publishers Shueisha, Kodansha, Shogakukan, and Kadokawa have triumphed in a copyright infringement lawsuit against Cloudflare, an American internet infrastructure company.

Court Ruling Details

The court recognized damages amounting to approximately 3.6 billion yen (around US$24 million) attributable to the publishers. However, due to the publishers' claim that only a fraction of the damage was due to Cloudflare, the company has been ordered to pay about 500 million yen (approximately US$3.3 million).

The publishers revealed their statement following the judgment, emphasizing that the ruling aims to discourage the misuse of content delivery network (CDN) services like Cloudflare. They affirmed their commitment to safeguarding the rights of creators and taking strong actions against copyright violations.

Background of the Lawsuit

The lawsuit, initiated in 2022, accused Cloudflare of facilitating the operation of manga piracy sites that exploit the publishers' copyrights. The plaintiffs claimed both an injunction and suffered damages close to 460 million yen (around US$4 million at the time). Kodansha particularly highlighted Cloudflare’s registration policy as a means that allowed piracy sites to obscure their identities, permitting illicit activities to continue.

The court's decision pointed out Cloudflare's negligence in implementing more stringent identity verification protocols.

Implications of the Ruling

This ruling is a critical step toward protecting intellectual property rights in the digital age, particularly for the manga and anime industries. Publishers highlighted the importance of CDN services when utilized responsibly for the legitimate distribution of content.

Cloudflare serves as a crucial intermediary that helps deliver content to users, especially during server-related issues.

Ongoing Concerns

The copyright dispute comes amid a backdrop of ongoing concerns regarding digital piracy in Japan. Notably, the infamous manga piracy site, Mangamura, shut down after legal actions were taken by publishers. Japanese authorities have since made efforts to combat unauthorized content distribution, leading to multiple arrests.

The four publishers are also part of the Content Overseas Distribution Association (CODA), which recently initiated the International Anti-Piracy Organization (IAPO) to combat piracy globally.

Source: Anime News Network.