Alleged Operators of HiAnime Piracy Ring Arrested in Vietnam with U.S. Support
4 hours ago
- #piracy
- #copyright enforcement
- #Vietnam
- HiAnime, a major anime piracy site with over 150 million monthly visits, shut down unexpectedly in March.
- Vietnamese authorities arrested seven suspects linked to a piracy ring operating over 100 sites, including HiAnime, charging them with copyright infringement and money laundering.
- The group operated from 2020 to April 2026, offering 26,000 unlicensed titles and generating about $12.8 million from advertising revenue.
- The investigation was aided by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE).
- Suspects received payments in cryptocurrency, laundered the funds, and used them to buy real estate and vehicles to legitimize illicit proceeds.
- Previous piracy convictions in Vietnam resulted in suspended sentences, prompting U.S. calls for stricter penalties, leading to a nationwide crackdown on IP violations.