Multiple New Criminal Complaints Filed for AV Copyright Infringement via BitTorrent

Akarenga Law Office (Representative Attorney: Hiroshi Sugiyama) filed criminal complaints with a Tokyo police station on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, against individuals for the illegal uploading of AV copyrighted works using BitTorrent, which have been formally accepted. Currently, the firm is moving to transition cases to criminal proceedings when early resolution outside of litigation is not possible in response to copyright infringement.

[Background to the Acceptance of Criminal Complaints]
Since 2022, Akarenga Law Office has begun responding to infringements by users who upload and share copyrighted works without permission via BitTorrent. We have commissioned specialized investigation companies and have filed thousands of petitions to date. We collect evidence that can withstand criminal proceedings, considering that these are copyright infringement cases, which involves a depth of evidence collection different from other law firms.

Given the strong demand from copyright holders in light of recent circumstances, we are actively filing criminal complaints against some infringers who do not respond to early settlement negotiations. We have heard that some experts provide legally irrational advice to copyright infringers, such as claiming there is no need to settle, which we evaluate as extremely inappropriate as defense counsel. Therefore, this time we are targeting infringers who have appointed agents who strongly promote such policies. With the acceptance of the complaint by the Tokyo police station, a full-scale investigation by law enforcement agencies has begun.

[Reality of Copyright Infringement using BitTorrent]
BitTorrent is a P2P communication technology that allows users to share files directly with each other over the Internet, and was originally developed for legitimate data transfer. However, in recent years, its misuse for illegal acts such as uploading and sharing copyrighted works such as videos, music, and books without the permission of the copyright holder has become serious, and this situation continues today.

[Preceding Prosecution Cases]
This acceptance of the complaint is not the first criminal response for the firm. In February 2025, a Tokyo police station accepted criminal complaints filed by the firm against several infringers for unauthorized uploading of copyrighted works using BitTorrent, and conducted searches and seizures. The subjects at that time also had agents negotiating on their behalf, but it was a case where they did not act in good faith and refused settlement negotiations.

[Future Outlook]
Akarenga Law Office has received disclosure decisions for all of the thousands of requests for disclosure of sender information filed to date, and has accumulated a high track record in identifying infringers. Based on this track record, we plan to continue and expand criminal complaints against infringers who do not respond to settlements while cooperating with police stations nationwide. Since illegal downloading and uploading acts can be subject to criminal penalties under the Copyright Act, we are issuing a warning again.

[About Akarenga Law Office]
- Hiroshi Sugiyama: Representative Attorney, Akarenga Law Office (Member of Sapporo Bar Association)
While specializing in corporate legal support with an eye on IPOs, he has a wealth of experience in copyright infringement cases using P2P networks and BitTorrent. He is well-versed in both civil and criminal responses regarding illegal file sharing.