Malicious ‘leech site’ shut down after manga piracy probe

The Haruka Yume no Ato site - A popular website that pointed manga fans to pirated versions of hit titles available for free online has been shut down after police searched the premises related to its operators, investigative sources said.

Haruka Yume no Ato, which listed Internet addresses hosting unauthorized copies of such blockbusters as “Detective Conan,” “Dragon Ball” and “One Piece,” was so well-known among manga fans that its closure caused an uproar on the Internet.

Police in eight prefectures, including Osaka, Kanagawa, Saitama and Fukuoka, searched the homes and offices of individuals apparently involved on suspicion of violation of the Copyright Law on July 19.

The Kosekikai group, which had operated the website since 2008, closed the site the same day of the police raid.

Haruka Yume no Ato was among the largest of the so-called leech sites, which list addresses of manga and other contents uploaded on the Internet without permission from the copyright holders.

Publishing industry sources said the website was the "most malicious" leech site. It is believed to have offered links to more than 100,000 pirated manga titles.

Police are questioning several individuals in Osaka Prefecture and the Kanto region on a voluntary basis.

One of the website operators told police, “I wanted to demonstrate high levels of my technological capability,” according to the sources.

Police are also trying to identify suspects by confiscating personal computers, cellphones and other items.

Publishing industry sources believe that several hundred leech sites are in operation, although the exact figure is unknown.

It has been considered difficult to crack down on leech sites on suspicion of Copyright Law infringements because visitors cannot read pirated manga directly on those websites.

However, police concluded that Haruka Yume no Ato was facilitating illegal activities by enabling visitors to read pirated manga free of charge for many years.

The server was located overseas, and its operators have not been identified.