Shin Kamen Rider, Godzilla -1.0 Among 8,000+ Works Infringed: Operators of Movie Text Extraction Site Found Guilty

On August 3, 2026, the Sendai District Court handed down guilty verdicts to four individuals and a corporate entity for operating a website that systematically transcribed the full storylines of over 8,000 films without permission, including major titles such as Shin Kamen Rider, Godzilla -1.0, and Shin Ultraman. The verdicts were announced during the second public hearing and later reported by CODA (Content Overseas Distribution Association), an organization that promotes the overseas expansion of Japanese content and combats piracy.

Sentences Handed Down

The court imposed the following sentences:

• Company manager A: 2 years imprisonment, suspended for 3 years, and a fine of 1 million yen.
• Employee B: 1 year imprisonment, suspended for 2 years.
• Writer C: Fine of 500,000 yen.
• Writer D: Fine of 300,000 yen.
• Operating company: Fine of 1 million yen.

Details of the Infringement

According to the indictment, in November 2023, the defendants transcribed the complete narrative details—including character names, dialogue, actions, settings, and scene transitions—from films owned by major studios. The affected works included Godzilla -1.0 (Toho) and four other films, Shin Kamen Rider (Toei) and two others, Kubi (KADOKAWA) and one other, and Shin Ultraman (Tsuburaya Productions). The transcribed content was published on the site alongside related images, generating illicit advertising revenue.

The site was found to contain over 8,000 films, with detailed descriptions from start to finish, effectively functioning as a text-based version of so-called “fast movies.” The defendants were referred to prosecutors by the Miyagi Prefectural Police and the Minamisanriku Police Station on May 20, 2025, and subsequently indicted.

Court Proceedings and CODA’s Role

During the first hearing on July 24, the defendants admitted to the charges. Investigations revealed that they had conspired to systematically infringe copyrights and operated the site for profit. This case is notably rare in that a corporate entity was also referred and indicted for copyright infringement. CODA assisted by coordinating with the rights holders and cooperating with the investigation.

The court emphasized that publishing detailed story summaries that allow readers to understand the entire plot without watching the film undermines legitimate services and reduces the willingness to pay for content, causing serious harm to the content industry. Such actions constitute clear copyright infringement beyond the scope of fair use.

Previous Similar Case

In a related case, a man who operated a similar text-extraction site was sentenced on April 16 to 1 year and 6 months in prison (suspended for 4 years) and a fine of 1 million yen. Additionally, a writer who created articles for that site was fined 500,000 yen on July 16, 2025.

CODA expressed hope that these guilty verdicts would serve as a strong warning against malicious copyright infringement and help deter similar violations. The organization also stressed that using such sites not only supports the operators’ ad revenue from infringing activities but also harms the interests of creators and the healthy development of culture. It called for broader public understanding of the importance of enjoying works through official channels.