Major manga piracy network shut down
Japan's anti-piracy coalition successfully dismantled significant manga piracy network
The Japanese anti-piracy group announced that one of the largest manga piracy operations in the world has been dismantled due to a joint inquiry by Japanese publishers and Chinese authorities.
The Content Overseas Distribution Association (CODA) stated that an individual was apprehended under suspicion of violating copyright laws on November 19, admitting to managing Bato.to along with around 60 other associated sites such as xbato.com and mangapark.io.
Bato.to started in 2014 and quickly became one of the leading online hubs for "scanalation"—a process where manga, manhwa, and other comic genres are scanned, translated, and distributed by online community participants.
According to CODA, the 60 websites that were shut down attracted a collective 350 million visitors just in May 2025, with Bato.to generating monthly ad revenues of more than CNY 400,000 (approximately $57,000) during peak activity periods.
The individual running Bato.to has now been released on bail pending expected formal charges.