Crunchyroll Opens a Job to Hunt Down and Take Down Anime Piracy Sites
Crunchyroll is taking its fight against anime piracy to a new level. The company has opened a position for a Vice President of Content Protection & Anti-Piracy, who will be responsible for defining and leading the company’s global strategy against the illegal distribution of its content.
The move has reportedly been in the works since at least July and shows just how big a problem piracy remains for the anime industry — especially for a platform with one of the largest licensed catalogs of Japanese animation outside Asia.
Crunchyroll Is Looking For An Anti-Piracy Specialist
The Crunchyroll position isn’t simply about hiring someone whose job is to send takedown notices for pirated videos.
The person hired will have a much broader role: defining the company’s global content protection strategy, including its long-term vision, operating model, technology roadmap, and strategic partnerships.
Among the responsibilities are:
- Develop a global anti-piracy strategy;
- Oversee content protection and takedown systems;
- Use tools powered by artificial intelligence to identify and combat infringement;
- Work with digital platforms and hosting companies;
- Build relationships with domain registrars and CDN providers;
- Cooperate with payment processors and industry organizations;
- Use systems such as YouTube Content ID and Meta Rights Manager;
- Work with the Google Trusted Copyright Removal Program (TCRP)
In other words, the goal is to build an operation capable of attacking piracy at multiple points across the distribution chain, rather than simply taking down one specific website or video.
Japan Is Also Increasing Pressure Against Piracy
Crunchyroll’s move comes at a time when Japan itself is increasing its international efforts against piracy.
The CODA (Content Overseas Distribution Association), one of Japan’s leading organizations dedicated to copyright protection, recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with IP House, an international organization specializing in intellectual property protection.
CODA has also participated in operations targeting piracy websites in other countries.
In Brazil, for example, the organization mentions Operation Animes, an operation carried out alongside IP House that reportedly resulted in dozens of websites connected to illegal content distribution being shut down.
The Japanese Industry Wants To Increase Overseas Revenue Even Further
All of this is happening as the Japanese government works to expand the international market for Japanese content.
In August 2026, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) presented a five-year plan aiming to increase annual overseas sales of Japanese content to 20 trillion yen by 2033.
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One of the measures included is specifically the strengthening of anti-piracy efforts overseas.
The plan includes initiatives involving Japanese diplomatic missions, professional training, and cooperation with law enforcement agencies in other countries.
via AnimeCorner