▲ This image, provided by Kakao Entertainment, shows the illegal Southeast Asian webtoon site Mangaku, now shut down. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, April 7 (Yonhap) -- Kakao Entertainment has successfully shut down four major illegal webtoon and web novel websites operating globally, including MangaKu, one of the largest piracy sites in Southeast Asia, the company said Thursday.

 

Revealing the results of its first-quarter crackdown, Kakao Entertainment’s anti-piracy team, P.CoK (Piracy Control Kakao), cited the closure of MangaKu as its most significant achievement.

 

MangaKu, which had been in operation for 17 years since 2008, recorded approximately 18 million monthly visits and was widely known as a prominent hub for pirated webtoons in the Southeast Asian region. The company identified the operator and issued a direct warning, leading to the site’s voluntary shutdown.

 

In a similar manner, Brazilian piracy site Norte Rose Scan and English-language site R also ceased operations following warnings from the company.

 

As for Bluebells in Bloom, an English-language pirated web novel blog hosted on WordPress, Kakao Entertainment filed a copyright complaint with the platform, resulting in the removal of all infringing content.

 

A Kakao Entertainment official stated, “We have shut down a total of 25 illegal websites so far, and the pace of our enforcement is accelerating. As illegal distribution is a global issue, we plan to work closely with relevant authorities and investigative agencies to pursue legal action.”

[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]