Two
individuals face possible prison sentences following their recent trial for
leaking Weekly Shonen Jump manga chapters before their official
release date. The verdict is expected on July
25, 2024. Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of 1.5 years in prison for
the company's manager, Musa Samir, and 1 year for his assistant. Additionally,
they have asked for heavy fines, reportedly 500,000 yen and 300,000 yen
respectively, for both the individuals and their company.
The defense argued for a suspended
sentence (meaning they will not go to prison unless
they commit another crime), alleging that the men were tricked into
leaking the chapters by a foreign individual known as “DBS Hype,” who promised
to promote their company. in exchange for the leaks. However, they
claimed that this promise was never fulfilled and that they received no
financial gains. In addition, it was revealed that the leaks of “Kagurabachi”,
“Sakamoto Days” and “Edens Zero” are also part of the investigation.
The defendants, both French citizens,
were arrested on February 4, 2024. Kumamoto police
revealed that Samir's company is involved in the marketing of products related
to Shonen Jump and that they obtained copies of the manga before its release to
sell in his own company. In some cases, the scanned images were altered
to appear as if they were not scanned from a paper magazine, although editors
have confirmed that no electronic data from the publishers was leaked. According
to police, the leaked images were translated into several foreign languages,
including English, and reposted on several sites.
Leaking information about upcoming manga chapters in
Japan is considered a crime for several fundamental reasons:
- Violation
of Copyright and Intellectual Property :
Mangas are works protected by copyright, and their unauthorized
distribution before official release infringes these rights. Creators and
publishers have the exclusive right to control the first distribution and
publication of their works.
- Impact
on the Industry : Premature leaks can
negatively affect the sales and reception of the manga. The income of
creators and publishers may decrease if readers choose to read leaked chapters
instead of purchasing official editions.
- Damage
to Trust and Reputation : The leak
compromises trust between editors and their collaborators, as well as
between fans and publishers. It can damage the reputation of those
involved and affect business relationships within the industry.
There are several ways in which you can gain access
to the contents of upcoming manga chapters before their official publication:
- Internal
Leaks : Individuals with internal access to the
editorial process, such as employees of the publisher, printing facilities
or distribution centers, may share images or information before the
official launch.
- Advance
Copies : Sometimes advance copies of
manga volumes or chapters are distributed to retailers, reviewers, or
other parties before the official release date. If these copies fall into
unauthorized hands, they can be leaked online.
- Hacking :
Hackers can gain access to digital files or servers containing manga
content before its official release and leak the information online.
Fighting manga leaks is crucial to
protecting creators' rights, maintaining the integrity of the manga industry,
and ensuring a fair and equitable experience for the fans and professionals
involved.
Source: MangaReporter
