People Involved in Major Chinese Piracy Site Are Sentenced

Danica Davidson March 7, 2024

Four people involved with the major anime piracy site B9GOOD were found guilty and sentenced at the People’s Court of Taizhou Pharmaceutical High-Tech Industrial Development Zone in China. The piracy site was aimed at people in Japan.

The names of the people were not given. Instead, they were referred to by their sex and by letters. Male A got three years in prison, but it’s a suspended sentence, so if he doesn’t get in more trouble in the next few years, he won’t be put behind bars. That said, he still has to pay a copyright infringement fine of 1.8 million yuan (approximately $250,024), and he lost the half-million-dollar home he bought with money from his illegal activities. He avoided time behind bars because he confessed to his crimes, acted remorseful, had never been in legal trouble before, and said he was sorry. Two of the other people, who were both females, also received suspended sentences. The last person, known as Male C, “was subject to exemption measures stipulated by the Chinese Criminal Law.”

For about 15 years Male A ran the piracy site. Over that time, it used different aliases, like “BLUE920,” “B9DM,” and “B9GOOD.” More than 45,000 different anime and “other contents” were pirated on the site. For an idea of its success, it received more than 300 million visits from January 2021 to December 2022.

Piracy is a major issue impacting the anime and manga world. Japan’s Content Overseas Distribution Association (a.k.a. CODA) leveled more than 10,000 requests to have B9GOOD shut down. Their complaints were heard by China, and CODA reports that never before have anime pirates in China received criminal charges. Companies like Kadokawa, Kodansha, Shogakukan, Studio Ghibli, Tezuka Productions, TV Asahi, TMS, Pony Canyon, Yoshimoto Kōgyō Holdings, Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation, and WOWOW all say they were damaged by the site.

Source: ANN

____

Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.