Manga piracy is still costing the industry an obscene amount every month

Manga has been on a high of late, thanks to the likes of Jujutsu Kaisen and Blue Lock, but the industry continues to suffer from piracy to the sum of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Major franchises such as One Piece and Jujutsu Kaisen continue to sell huge amounts of copies, leading sales charts around the world. They, alongside My Hero Academia, Blue Lock, The Apothecary Diaries, and others have helped to give us a golden age of the best anime and manga.

Such popularity comes at a cost, though. New data reveals that piracy levels are currently high, costing the industry the guts of nearly $1 billion monthly. Authorized Books of Japan, an anti-piracy body trying to curb unlawful distribution, puts the figure at $800 million per month at the minute.

“The amount of free reading per month on the top 10 English translation piracy sites alone amounts to $800 million US, a figure that is increasing every year and requires immediate action,” the company stated, as part of the current campaign to encourage use of legitimate sources.

A recent advertising campaign took a different tact from the typical shaming of people who partake in piracy, instead thanking those who read officially released translations. “We know how much you love manga of all different strides as well as their creators,” reads a flyer.

“That’s why you seek out and read the official versions, even if it takes more time and effort. We thank you.”

The ABJ added that sites offering pirated copies appear to be growing, with one site jumping up four spots in the overall top 10. Large sites have been taken down, but they merely spring up under another name elsewhere, hosting the same illegitimate wares for prospective readers.

Such offerings include unofficial translations from fans who get the original chapter or volume, and a variety of languages are catered to, including Italian, Spanish, Vietnamese, and more.

The ABJ did manage to help cause a downturn in piracy in 2022, leading to reduced damage to the industry in 2023. But many aspects of the battle against pirates are difficult.

We have guides on One Piece Chapter 1123 and Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 266 for when you can properly keep up to date on their stories.