Sony Music Japan and Bandai Namco Music Live are taking legal action against the popular anime music piracy website Hikari-no-Akari. On June 29, they filed for subpoenas in a US federal court, seeking to uncover the identities of those behind the site.
Cloudflare Asked to Provide information on Alleged Copyright Infringers at Anime Music Site
The companies are targeting two domain names associated with Hikari-no-Akari: hikarinoakari.com and hnadownloads.co. They’ve asked the court to order Cloudflare, a network services company, to provide information on the alleged copyright infringers.
Hikari-no-Akari has been operating for over a decade, specializing in Japanese music, particularly tracks popularized by anime TV shows. The site reportedly receives more than a million visits monthly.
Prior to the subpoena requests, Sony and Bandai Namco sent letters to Cloudflare on June 20, demanding that access to specific content on these domains be disabled. As of July 4, both domains were inaccessible.
Music From Popular Anime Series and Japanese Drama Violates DMCA
The companies provided lists of tracks allegedly made available for piracy on the site. These include songs from popular anime series and Japanese dramas.
This legal action is taken under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which allows rights holders to request subpoenas for identifying information about copyright infringers from service providers. Digital music piracy has been surging in recent years.
Legal Action Targets Digital Piracy Site Owners
While many music rights holders have focused on holding internet service providers accountable for piracy on their networks, Hikari-no-Akari’s direct provision of web addresses for specific files makes it a practical target for direct action.
This case highlights the ongoing battle between the music industry and piracy sites, particularly those specializing in niche markets like anime music. It also underscores the global nature of digital piracy, and the legal complexities involved in combating it across international borders.