Fan-art is one of the strongest aspects of the anime community, bringing fans together while allowing them to express their admiration and adoration for their favorite properties.Two people in Japan, however, are facing legal actionfor the creation and distribution of NSFW AI-generatedNeon Genesis Evangelionartwork.According to TBS, two men have been referred to the prosecutor’s office by Kanagwawa Prefectural Police following an investigation into potential copyright infringement.
Both men, ages 36 and 40 respectively, offered no rebuttal to the accusations, and instead simplyclaimed their actions were to supplement their living expenses. The AI-generated posters were distributed between October 2023 and March 2024, and reportedly raised upwards of 10 million yen. Given the continuing war on piracy waged by several publishers and large companies in the anime industry, it seems that even smaller offending parties will not be able to escape punishment.
Two AI Art Distributors Are Facing Legal Action in Japan
The Distribution of AI-Generated Posters of Evangelion Characters Is Being Investigated
Heated discussion around not only the morality, but also the legality of AI-generated artwork has dominated online discussion surrounding fan-art for some time, and the recent investigations into the two unnamed men are unlikely to settle any arguments. Kanagawa Prefecture police have reportedly found evidence of sold data regarding the AI-generated artwork and posters on the accused parties' phones, leading to police’s referral to the prosecutor’s office. The characters includeboth Asuka Langley Shikinami and Mari Illustrious MakinamifromEvangelion’s ‘rebuild’ films.
Accoding to the police, they believe the two men are guilty of copyright infringement for simply possessing the materials in question. Being found responsible for the distribution of the artwork, however, will bring along heftier repercussions, and neither man seemed hesitant to admit they profited from the infringing artwork. Piracy has been a hot button issue in the anime and manga industries over the last year, and this is yetanother instance of a large company successfully bringing the hammer down.
Large Companies Are Cracking Down on Anime and Manga Piracy Worldwide
Official Distributors Are No Longer Letting Piracy Slide
Piracy has been a long-running practice in the world of anime and manga, but large publishersmade a statement in February of last yearwhen authorities arrested and charged two men for distributing leaks of popularShōnen Jumptitles. Since then, several large publishing houses, including Shueisha, haverepeatedly targeted individuals suspected of pirating their material. Just earlier this month,Shueisha filed subpoenasagainst American-based X-users responsible for manga leaks.
Anime Piracy Takes a Major Blow As Japan Finally Tackles One of South America’s Biggest Offenders
CODA has just taken down one of Brazil’s largest illegal anime websites, marking a major victory in the ongoing battle against piracy in the industry.
Now, following the recent referral by Kanagawa Prefecture police, it seems the anime industry will join manga publishers in bringing the hammer down on piracy. Though fan art of characters fromNeon Genesis Evangelionwill continue to flood the home pages of social media websites, the distribution of the art, especially in cases where AI is involved, will seemingly come with legal repercussions. Large companies are fed up with copyright infringement, and are proving that they will spare no suspected offender.
