Manga Pirate Site Operator Fails to Dodge DMCA Subpoena Over Cloudflare Cache
To combat online piracy, copyright holders frequently use DMCA subpoenas to compel service providers to unmask alleged infringers. Because these requests don’t require a judge’s approval and are typically signed off by a court clerk, they offer a swift and powerful tool to identify pirates. In recent years, Internet infrastructure company Cloudflare has been targeted with DMCA subpoenas dozens of times. While the personal information...
Direct Sales & Direct Anti-Piracy Action Underpin Japan’s Plan For Explosive Growth
In the decade preceding 2023, overseas sales of Japanese content tripled, reaching approximately 5.8 trillion yen or roughly US$38.3 billion at today’s rates. According to the five-year action plan laid out in the 2025 Entertainment and Creative Industry Strategy report, that figure surpassed the exports of the semiconductor and steel industries, leaving only the car industry out in front. Now positioned as a ‘core industry,’ and with...
Record Labels Fire Back at Cox in $1B Supreme Court Piracy Case, Cite Termination ‘Hypocrisy’
The Supreme Court case between several major record labels and Cox Communications is a landmark legal battle. The outcome will determine how Internet providers should deal with pirating subscribers on their networks. Should alleged pirates be disconnected from the Internet after repeated third-party allegations of copyright infringement? Or does that go too far? In its opening brief, Cox argued that the company should not be held...
Y2Mate.com Among a Dozen YouTube Rippers Shut Down By IFPI
Under the international umbrella of IFPI, the RIAA in the United States, and the BPI in London, the world’s leading recording labels have been on a constant upwards trajectory for a decade. After the likes of Napster, Grokster, and LimeWire gatecrashed the party and introduced unwelcome (not to mention illegal) competition into the equation, in 2002 revenues tumbled and somehow managed to keep going south until 2014. Making peace with...
Reddit Banned 709 Subreddits for Repeat Copyright Violations in First Half of 2025
With many millions of daily users, Reddit is undoubtedly one of the most visited sites on the Internet. The platform celebrated its 20th anniversary this summer and has grown from a hobby site, started by two college roommates, to a billion-dollar company. This growth also brought added responsibility. In addition to the billions of casual, insightful, and heartwarming messages, Reddit’s popularity was also embraced by those who color...
Grok’s Lack of Piracy Prompt Panic Isn’t Controversial, It’s Reasonable and Rewarding
Considering the volume of AI-related lawsuits in U.S. courts, AI companies probably have enough copyright-related pressures to contend with right now. Yet with no shortage of rightsholders with developing claims, significant legal distractions will likely be a feature of the business for many years to come. From the usual content behemoths to authors of a single book, the level of hand wringing thus far doesn’t seem to vary with...
