Earlier this year, Shueisha’s renowned Shonen Jump fell victim to leaks of popular manga titles such as Jujutsu Kaisen and One Piece. As a result of the investigation, two foreign nationals were arrested for allegedly violating the copyright of Weekly Shonen Jump.
Leaks like these are a major inconvenience for both writers and readers, who are unfairly spoiled by them. The trial for this case is currently in progress. Let us reveal the remaining details of this trial.
Details on the Shonen Jump Leaker Case
Amidst the two charges faced by the foreign nationals, one was denied while the other was accepted. This raised suspicions that there may be others involved in the leak cases.
The phones, magazines, and computers of these individuals were confiscated by Kumamoto Prefectural Police. Upon examining their devices, incriminating evidence was found, suggesting that these foreign nationals may be responsible for the well-known manga leaker, OPScans.
Latest Developments in the Leaker’s Case
Currently, investigations are underway for leaks involving other manga series such as Kagurabachi, Sakamoto Days, and Edens Zero, as there is a risk of additional leakers.
The staff of Shonen Jump are currently facing trial for the leak. The prosecution is seeking a 1.5-year prison sentence for the company’s boss and a 1-year sentence for his assistant. Additionally, the company will be facing significant fines.
The Shonen Jump staff claim that the responsibility lies with the foreign individual who approached them for leaks, promising to promote the company in exchange. However, this promise turned out to be false and has only resulted in negative consequences for the company. They argue that since they were not at fault for the leak, they should receive a suspended sentence.
On February 5th, Shueisha released a statement addressing the issue, stating, “This type of crime not only deprives readers of the excitement of the magazine’s release date, but also has a detrimental effect on the hardworking authors whose manga is leaked and loses its value.”The statement emphasized the negative impact of such actions on both readers and creators.
About Weekly Shonen Jump
Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump is a collection of shonen manga published as part of their Jump magazine series. Most of the manga featured in this anthology fall into the action and comedy genres. The weekly issue contains chapters from various series, which are later compiled into tankobon volumes every few months.
Since its initial launch in 1968, Weekly Shonen Jump has amassed a staggering 7.5 billion copies in sales. Some of the popular manga series featured in its pages include Dragon Ball and Slam Dunk. Keeping up with the trend of digital media, Shonen Jump can now be accessed through Shonen Jump+, a Japanese mobile application, or its English version, Manga Plus (available only outside of Japan). Presently, some of the titles being published in Weekly Shonen Jump are Jujutsu Kaisen, RuriDragon, and Sakamoto Days.
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