Japan’s Content Overseas Distribution Association (CODA) reported that 16 Japanese anime piracy sites shut down in Brazil through a mix of complaint-related enforcement and negotiated closures. CODA’s supported traffic figure is approximately 21 million average monthly visits—not 100 million monthly visits—based on SimilarWeb estimates for January–March 2023.
What happened to the 16 anime piracy sites?
In an August 26, 2024 release, CODA said its involvement led to the closure of 16 Japanese anime piracy sites in Brazil. The closures came through two different routes: a criminal complaint involving three sites and separate negotiations with operators identified in preliminary investigations. The release describes site closures, not convictions of all operators.
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On April 25, 2024, local time in Brazil, three sites were exposed through a criminal complaint filed by a CODA member company. Separately, CODA said it began direct “knock-and-talk” negotiations in March 2024. Three named sites—animeshouse.net, animesbr.cc, and meuanime.io—along with ten related sites closed through those negotiations. CODA attributed 16 closures in total to its involvement. CODA’s August 26, 2024 release distinguishes the complaint-related action from the negotiated shutdowns.
How did the operation work?
Complaint-related enforcement
CODA said the three sites connected to the complaint targeted Japanese content for viewers outside Japan. According to CODA, they blocked Japanese IP addresses, added Portuguese subtitles to Japanese anime for Brazilian viewers, and earned advertising revenue. These are CODA’s descriptions and allegations; the material cited here does not establish that they were adjudicated findings. CODA’s account of the sites and investigation describes the alleged practices.
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Negotiated closures
The “knock-and-talk” process was a separate route: CODA said it contacted operators identified through preliminary investigations and negotiated closures. The release does not describe these closures as raids or arrests, so it would be inaccurate to characterize all 16 sites that way.
Why was Brazil involved?
CODA placed the work within Brazil’s Operation 404, a public-private anti-piracy initiative it says has operated since 2019. The anime-focused effort was called Operation Animes Phase 2. CODA said Phase 1, conducted from February to March 2023, shut down 36 Japanese anime piracy sites. For Phase 2, Toei Animation, Toho, and Bandai Namco Filmworks filed complaints through CODA in September 2023. CODA’s release outlines the phases and complaints.
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CODA also said it worked with South Korea’s Copyright Overseas promotion Association (COA). It identified Brazil’s Ministry of Justice and Public Security Cyber Operations Laboratory (Ciberlab) as conducting the investigation, coordinated by the Directorate of Integrated Operations and Intelligence (Diopi). The release’s operational account names those partners.
How many visits did the sites get?
CODA reported approximately 21 million average monthly visits across the 16 sites, using SimilarWeb data for January–March 2023. Its release does not provide a confidence interval or explain the estimation method in detail. The figure is monthly traffic for that period, not a verified cumulative total of 100 million visits. CODA’s traffic statement specifies the metric and period.
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A September 25, 2024 item from the Korean Copyright Commission gives a different period and wording: approximately 21 million monthly accesses from November 2023 through January 2024. That is a separate summary and should not be combined with CODA’s earlier SimilarWeb figure as though both report the same dataset. The Commission’s copyright-trends item states its period.
The headline’s “100 million visits” wording is not supported as a monthly figure by CODA’s primary release. A secondary transcript that frames 21 million as a three-month total and derives more than 100 million cumulative visits conflicts with CODA’s stated average monthly measurement; it does not verify that claim.
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Are the sites still closed?
As of its August 26, 2024 release, CODA said 11 of the 16 domains had been voluntarily transferred after negotiations and redirected visitors to a CODA closure notice. It said talks to acquire the remaining domains would continue. This is a dated status report, not confirmation of the domains’ present-day status. CODA’s release records the domain status at that time.
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What the operation does—and does not—establish
- CODA reported 16 closures in Brazil through complaint-related action and negotiations.
- The release distinguishes the three complaint-related sites from the sites closed through direct negotiations.
- CODA’s supported traffic estimate is approximately 21 million average monthly visits for January–March 2023; its release does not substantiate 100 million monthly visits.
- The available status information ends with CODA’s August 2024 report and does not verify current domain availability.
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