The Tokyo District Court has convicted Wataru Takeuchi, 39, for copyright infringement related to detailed plot summaries posted on his website. The Content Overseas Distribution Association (CODA) announced the ruling, which found Takeuchi guilty of violating copyright law by uploading extensive spoiler articles for works including the film Godzilla Minus One and the anime Overlord III.
Takeuchi received a sentence of one year and six months in prison, suspended for four years, along with a 1 million yen (approximately $6,300 USD) fine. The court determined that the spoiler articles, which prosecutors argued were akin to transcripts, exceeded fair use and retained the essential characteristics of the original works without permission. The defense had contended that text-only summaries could not replicate the full audiovisual experience of the films and anime.
This conviction follows a prior ruling in July where another man was found guilty and fined 500,000 yen (approximately $3,100 USD) for a similar offense involving a Godzilla Minus One spoiler article. In that case, the defendant claimed to have memorized the plot rather than transcribing it directly.
CODA highlighted that such "spoiler sites" pose a significant problem by potentially discouraging audiences from engaging with the original content and compensating rights holders. The association emphasized that while transcribing plot details might be viewed differently from outright piracy, it still constitutes a serious copyright infringement beyond permissible quotation.