![\"hikari\"](\"https:\/\/www.cryptocabaret.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/hikarilogo.jpg\")
Founded in 2010, Hikari-no-Akari (HnA) positioned itself as the go-to site for fans of Japanese music. <\/p>\nFounded in 2010, Hikari-no-Akari (HnA) positioned itself as the go-to site for fans of Japanese music. <\/p>\n
With anime booming across the globe, HnA\u2019s audience didn\u2019t stop at the border. And with over a million visits per month, rightsholders started to take notice. <\/p>\n
Hoping to stop the infringing activities, the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ<\/a>) and IFPI repeatedly reached out to HnA\u2019s operator, without result. Similar inquiries, sent to the cyberlocker where the pirated music was stored, didn\u2019t help either. <\/p>\n Faced with the status quo, the music industry groups, though Sony Music Japan, went to a U.S. federal court<\/a>. There, they obtained a DMCA subpoena, requiring Cloudflare to share all information they have on the customer associated with hikarinoakari.com.<\/p>\n Additionally, the subpoena targeted the associated cyberlocker; hnadownloads.co. The latter domain received the bulk of its traffic from HnA and, according to music industry insiders, is operated by the same people. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n Through the subpoena, the music company hoped to obtain additional information on the people behind these sites, including their names, IP addresses, and payment details. Any information obtained could then be used for follow-up copyright enforcement actions.<\/p>\n Cloudflare typically requires some time to respond to subpoenas, and it hasn\u2019t done so yet. However, the HnA operators decided not to wait for any follow-up action, and reportedly shut down the site of their own accord. <\/p>\n Indeed, at the time of writing, hikarinoakari.com is not resolving, and the hnadownloads.co domain is listed as suspended.<\/p>\n According to a press release from RIAJ, there is no agreement or settlement. In fact, the music group still doesn\u2019t know who\u2019s behind the site. If they find out more, they will take appropriate steps.<\/p>\n \u201c[T]he operator voluntarily closed the website immediately after the disclosure order. Based on the information to be disclosed by \u2018Cloudflare\u2019 in the future, our association plans to continue to hold the operator accountable and take legal action against similar illegal sites,\u201d RIAJ writes.<\/p>\n RIAJ estimates that HnA had more than 15 million visitors in 2024, of which roughly 75% were from outside of Japan. According to data from SimilarWeb, the U.S. was the runner-up in terms of traffic, followed by Chile. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n While HnA and its users might have been under the impression that they were sharing culture, the music group sees things differently. The unauthorized sharing practices resulted in lower revenues for rightsholders, which is counterproductive, RIAJ explains. <\/p>\n \u201cGoing forward, our association will continue to work on ongoing anti-illegal measures to eradicate pirate sites in order to contribute to the development of music culture,\u201d the group adds. <\/p>\n No concrete follow-up action is mentioned but, as an extra warning to the public at large, RIAJ notes that knowingly downloading pirated music is a criminal offense in Japan, even if it\u2019s for personal use. <\/p>\n From: TF<\/a>, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.<\/p>\n![\"exhibit\"](\"https:\/\/www.cryptocabaret.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/exhibithna-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/center> <\/p>\nHnA Shuts Down<\/h2>\n
Sharing Culture?<\/h2>\n
![\"hikari\"](\"https:\/\/www.cryptocabaret.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/hikari-fu.jpg\")
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