Netflix, Disney & Crunchyroll Named Following Mass Anime Streaming Crackdown
A group of major streaming companies that includes Netflix, Disney and Crunchyroll have teamed up to take legal action against a large piracy platform. Their goal is to disrupt piracy at a massive scale, but the matter is already getting complicated as the pirates fight back.
TorrentFreak reports the latest update in the global piracy crackdown, which is targeting VidSrc domains. It marks the first follow-up attack after 248 domains were targeted in September, which included major anime websites such as AnimesHeaven, AnimeKai and Anoboy. It has been reported that the plaintiffs in the case include Universal City Studios Productions LLLP, Warner Bros. Entertainment, Netflix US, LLC, Disney Enterprises Inc., Apple Video Programming LLC, Crunchyroll, LLC, and Korea’s SBS Co. Ltd., CJ ENM Co. Ltd, and SLL Joongang Co. Ltd. The massive Hollywood involvement brings a new scale to the battle, although the ‘hydra’ nature of piracy may make it difficult to contain in practice.
Major Entertainment Companies Fight Back Against Streaming Piracy by Targeting VidSrc
It was reported that VidSrc has already taken its own actions to try and counter the impending legal action. An evasive measure saw the group switching over to Russian domains — making them much more difficult to target, at least as far as the courts in India, where the lawsuit is being brought about, are concerned.
VidSrc’s response has been at the crux of the lawsuit in the first place, with the complicated way domains operate being a particular pain point for rightsholders. Even when one piracy operation appears to be shut down, many replacements often appear, and VidSrc’s shift to Russian domains proves that the game of whack-a-mole is likely to continue. Enforcing these legal victories becomes difficult across borders, so even with the New Delhi court favoring the entertainment companies, it will be difficult to force a Russian domain registrar to act.
The new injunction brings with it considerable scope to, ideally, end the hydra-like domain hopping. Domains that even appear to be associated with the previously blocked sites are now being targeted, based on factors that include site name, branding and operator identity.
The initial order saw 248 domains blocked by local internet service providers (ISPs) in India, but also compelled domain registrars worldwide to suspend the sites within 72 hours. Registrars were also ordered to gather and hand over personal details about who registered the domains, including credit card information, mobile numbers and more.
Crunchyroll, Netflix, Disney and other major Hollywood studios entering the case as plaintiffs is likely to have a significant impact on casual anime piracy. Those who browse free anime streaming sites will likely find their options limited or completely cut off, especially if they are living in India. As the pirate streaming sites are forced to bounce around to different domains, they’re also likely to lose traffic as fans struggle to keep up.
Thankfully, legal anime streaming has become more accessible in recent years, with Crunchyroll remaining the leading anime-focused streamer. Netflix, Disney and other major names have been expanding their own anime libraries and capitalizing on the medium’s global popularity — likely at least one of the main reasons they’re joining the fight against some of the world’s most notorious anime pirate sites. However, despite legal availability getting better in recent years, many anime fans still turn to pirate sites, especially when looking for older and niche content that isn’t easily available by legal means.
