Japanese Manga Publishers Are Teaming Up To Convince Readers To Stop Pirating Manga

Several Japanese manga publishers are making a major push to stop the illegal online upload and distribution of manga.

Brought together by the Shuppan Koho Group, major manga publishers in Japan are pushing ahead with a campaign asking readers to stop the illegal distribution of manga by using iconic characters.

Let’s stop watching illegal pirated sites! It is announcement of “STOP! Pirate” campaign where publishing companies participate.  Protecting creators leads to the driving force to create new works.  Thank you for your cooperation.
– Weekly Shonen Jump

Over the past year, recent reports have noted that damage to the manga industry has been heavy. The research noted by the Japan Times place the cost of the damage by pirated manga at around 50 billion yen ( roughly $450 million USD).