Pirated websites offering free comics worldwide have caused significant losses to legitimate comics

A survey released on October 29 by the Japanese Publishing House (ABJ), a general incorporated association comprised of publishers and telecommunications operators, revealed that the annual losses caused by “free reading” of unauthorized Japanese publications such as manga on pirate websites are estimated at approximately 8.5 trillion yen. To understand the actual damage caused by global piracy websites, ABJ conducted a survey of 913 pirate websites from July to August 2025, revealing the widespread harm caused by piracy.

ABJ investigated the number of visits to pirate websites and the time spent on them in various countries and regions in June 2025. The report shows that in 123 countries and regions worldwide, there were approximately 2.8 billion visits to pirate websites, with a total dwell time of 700 million hours. Assuming a user spends 30 minutes reading a manga (priced at 500 yen), the estimated losses from free reading reach 704.8 billion yen (equivalent to 1.4 billion manga books), which translates to an annual loss of approximately 8.5 trillion yen.

In terms of the total time users spend on pirate websites across different countries, Indonesia ranks first, followed by Japan and the United States. Regarding the languages ​​used on pirate websites, English accounts for half, followed by Japanese, Chinese, and Vietnamese.

Atsushi Ito, head of ABJ’s publicity department (with involvement from Shueisha’s editorial and general affairs department), stated, “This survey found that the losses caused by piracy far exceed expectations. We will use this data as a basis to promote more effective anti-piracy measures.”