Weekly Shonen Jump spoiler-leakers rearrested for similar offence with Kodansha

The Weekly Shonen Jump leakers who were arrested on February 4, 2024, have been confirmed to be jailed once again this weekend after Japanese authorities stated that the culprits committed the same crime, this time by leaking chapters of a manga involving publisher Kodansha and their Weekly Shounen Magazine.

As of right now, there is no information regarding the current state of the Weekly Shonen Jump leakers and what their penalty is going to be after committing the same crime again, so soon after the first case. However, this is another confirmation of the current state of piracy in the manga industry and how that shouldn't be taken lightly.

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Weekly Shonen Jump leakers were arrested once again after committing the same crime with Kodansha

Kodansha's image to promote their online reading platform (Image via Kodansha).

Back on February 4, it was confirmed that two leakers were arrested for revealing content of upcoming Weekly Shonen Jump manga chapters, with one of the two individuals being a 36-year-old foreigner by the name of Samir Musa, who reportedly runs the limited liability company, Japan Deal World, in Tokyo's Kita Ward. The name of the other accused was not revealed.

On February 25, Nikkei reported that these two individuals have committed the same crime once again, this time getting involved with the publisher Kodansha and their Weekly Shounen Magazine. There is no information at the moment about which series were leaked, although there are speculations that it was Blue Lock.

There is also no information regarding what the penalty is for committing this crime twice on such short notice, although the authorities confirmed in early February that these two individuals broke Japan's Copyright Act.

Considering that they were let go after the Shonen Jump leaks, there is a very good chance that the punishment is going to be considerably stronger this time around.

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The morality of leaking

Shonen Jump and Kodansha have been dealing with leaks (Image via Shueisha).

The situation of the Kodansha and Weekly Shonen Jump leaks is a very good example of the toll these actions take on the manga industry and the severity of publishing content without the consent of these companies.

It is a very prominent topic in the industry these days, and something that should be avoided out of respect for the professionals involved in these series.

While fans would like to get the next chapter of their favorite series as soon as possible, deadlines and release dates have to be respected for a much more positive experience, not only for the readers but also for the creators. It is something that needs to be respected, especially in a day and age where piracy has become par for the course in the online community.