In the wake of the recent arrest of executives associated with a Tokyo-based corporation for their involvement in the early leaks of Shonen Jump titles, Shueisha Inc., the publisher of Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, has released an official statement addressing the situation on Feb 5, 2024.
Shueisha expressed their concern regarding the practice of early leaking, where manga content is made available before the official release date, and stated that it has been a growing concern in the industry.
According to them, the unauthorized circulation of such spoilers not only spoils the excitement of readers eagerly awaiting new releases but also poses a significant threat to the intellectual property rights of creators.
Shueisha, acknowledging the gravity of the issue, views the arrest of the suspects as a crucial step towards resolving the problem. The publishing company hopes that the investigation will lead to the identification and elimination of the “early leak” route, ultimately preventing future instances of unauthorized distribution.
In the statement, Shueisha also emphasized their ongoing commitment to protecting the works and rights of authors. and pledged to actively implement various measures to ensure that readers can enjoy manga in a proper and legitimate manner.
Checkout the full statement below:
On February 4, 2024, following reports of the arrest of a suspect related to an international piracy early leak site, executives of a Tokyo-based corporation were arrested by the joint investigation headquarters of the Kumamoto Prefectural Police and Niigata Prefectural Police on suspicion of copyright infringement. The suspects are accused of obtaining and digitizing data of our company’s “Weekly Shonen Jump” magazine before its official release date and uploading it to a pirate site without authorization. The investigation is currently ongoing regarding the source of the early leak.
The act of “early leaking” manga magazine content before the official release date, accompanied by its spread through social media, deprives readers who eagerly await the release date of their enjoyment. The authors are also deeply concerned, and our company considers this a significant issue. Therefore, the arrest of the suspects is seen as a major step towards resolving the problem, and we hope that the clarification of the “early leak” route will contribute to preventing future harm.
We, as a company, will continue to actively implement various measures to protect the works and rights painstakingly created by the authors, ensuring that readers can enjoy manga in a proper and legitimate manner.
Shueisha Inc.
Source: Livedoor News