A Tokyo court has ruled that Cloudflare is liable for aiding manga piracy, awarding about $3.2 million in damages. The court’s decision, which followed a legal battle lasting over three and a half years, highlights a significant precedent in Japan regarding the responsibilities of content delivery network (CDN) providers. The publishers, who initiated the lawsuit, declared it a ‘Victory Against Cloudflare,’ emphasizing that the company failed to act on infringement notices and continued to cache and serve content for major piracy sites.
The publishers informed Cloudflare of the massive scale of infringement, involving over 4,000 manga works and 300 million monthly visitors. Despite these warnings, Cloudflare continued its services to the piracy sites, even after receiving information disclosure orders from U.S. courts. The court’s ruling stated that Cloudflare’s negligence in not verifying identities and failing to respond to infringement notices constituted aiding and abetting copyright infringement. This decision is seen as a landmark case, as it underscores the need for CDN providers to conduct thorough identity verification and take prompt action against copyright violations.
Cloudflare, which plans to appeal the verdict, faces financial and reputational implications due to this ruling. The publishers believe the judgment clarifies the conditions under which companies like Cloudflare may be held liable for copyright infringement. They hope this decision will lead to a more regulated use of CDN services and better protection of intellectual property rights. The ruling could influence similar cases globally and prompt a reevaluation of the responsibilities of CDN providers in combating piracy. As the appeal process begins, the legal and business landscape surrounding digital content distribution is likely to see significant changes.