Two individuals face possible prison sentences following their recent trial for leaking Weekly Shonen Jump manga chapters ahead of their official release date. The verdict is expected on July 25, 2024. Prosecutors are seeking a 1.5-year prison sentence for the company's manager, Musa Samir, and 1 year for his assistant. Additionally, they called for hefty fines, reportedly 500,000 yen and 300,000 yen respectively, for both the individuals and their companies.

The defense argued for a suspended sentence (that is, they will not go to prison unless they commit another crime), claiming that the men were tricked into leaking the chapters by a foreign individual known as “DBS Hype,” who promised to promote his company in exchange for the leaks. However, they claimed that this promise was never fulfilled and that they did not receive any financial gains. In addition, it was revealed that the leaks of “Kagurabachi”, “Sakamoto Days” and “Edens Zero” are also part of the investigation.

The defendants, both French citizens, were arrested on February 4, 2024. Kumamoto police revealed that Samir's company is involved in marketing Shonen Jump-related products and that he obtained copies of the manga before its release to sell at his own company. In some cases, scanned images were altered to appear as if they were not scanned from a print magazine, although publishers have confirmed that no publishers' electronic data was leaked. According to police, the leaked images were translated into several foreign languages, including English, and republished on several websites.

Leaking information about upcoming manga chapters in Japan is considered a crime for several fundamental reasons:

• Copyright and Intellectual Property Infringement: Manga are copyrighted works, and unauthorized distribution prior to their official release infringes upon copyright. Creators and publishers have the exclusive right to control the first distribution and publication of their works.
• Impact on industry: Premature leaks can negatively affect the sales and reception of manga. The income of creators and publishers may decrease if readers choose to read the leaked chapters instead of purchasing the official editions.
• Damage to trust and reputation: Leaks undermine trust between publishers and their contributors, as well as between fans and publishers. They can damage the reputations of those involved and affect business relationships within the industry.

There are several ways to get access to the content of the next chapters of the manga before its official publication:

• Internal leaks: Individuals with internal access to the editorial process, such as employees of the publisher, printers, or distribution centers, may share images or information before the official release.
• Advance Copies: Sometimes, advance copies of manga volumes or chapters are distributed to retailers, reviewers, or other parties before the official release date. If these copies fall into unauthorized hands, they may be leaked online.
• hack: Hackers can gain access to digital files or servers containing manga content before its official release and leak the information online.

Fighting manga leaks is crucial protect the rights of creators, maintain the integrity of the manga industry, and ensure a fair and equitable experience for fans and professionals involved.

Source: Manga reporter