One of the largest manga piracy networks has been shut down

One of the world’s largest manga piracy networks has been shut down after a coordinated investigation between Japanese publishers and Chinese authorities, the Japanese Anti-Piracy Alliance said. the Overseas Content Distribution Association CODA announced the arrest of a person on suspicion of copyright infringement on November 19, who “admitted to operating” Bato.to and nearly 60 related websites, such as xbato.com and magangpark.io.

Launched in 2014, Bato.to has grown into one of the most popular online platforms for “scanning” – where manga, manhwa, and other comics are scanned, edited with translated text, and then distributed by online user communities. CODA reports that the 60 closed sites recorded a total of 350 million visits in May 2025 alone, with Bato.to generating more than 400,000 yuan (about $57,000) in ad revenue during peak months.

The Bato.to operator has since been released on bail and is expected to be formally charged.