BitTorrent porn downloads bring costly surprise for users in Japan
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japanese BitTorrent users who thought they were simply downloading adult videos for free are increasingly receiving court notices and
Japanese BitTorrent users are receiving court notices demanding high settlement amounts for alleged copyright infringement, often related to adult videos. The Tokyo District Court saw a significant increase in applications for disclosing user information, from 814 in 2023 to 5,320 in 2025. Internet service providers receive a majority of these disclosure requests, involving adult video copyright infringement cases.
File-sharing software allows users to download large quantities of content without paying, but also enables them to upload parts of the file while downloading, potentially infringing on copyrights. Video production companies have systems in place to identify IP addresses of suspected infringers, seeking court orders to reveal user information.
A self-employed man in his 40s received a court notice demanding 500,000 yen, initially thinking it was a scam but later realizing it was genuine. He decided to seek legal advice, as his anxiety over the situation impacted his daily life. Lawyers warn against ignoring settlement demands, as rights holders may pursue criminal charges if left unaddressed.
While some companies aim to maximize income from these cases, attorneys suggest that individual cases may be negotiated to reduce the settlement amount.
Written by urgent.news from The Mainichi's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
