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Shueisha Producer Warns Against Leaks

Shueisha producer and rights agent Takamitsu Sueyoshi wrote a Twitter thread on August 20 explaining the harm of leaks from a business perspective. He explained that leaks weaken the momentum around an official announcement, making it difficult for the company to ascertain the level of hype around the property. If an IP is deemed not to carry much power, then it becomes difficult to gather licensors and investors, and it becomes harder to create subsequent products and screen adaptations.

His thread also criticizes the practice of sharing story spoilers for a chapter or episode that hasn't been officially released yet. He distinguishes this from spoilers around things that have been released in an official capacity.

Sueyoshi went on to write that while he understands that leakers and people who share pre-release spoilers want to satiate the curiosity of the public, they do not deserve the attention that comes with sharing that information before the official release.

He also said that it is not your fault if you happen to come across leaks while scrolling through Twitter, because they can appear on your timeline not just through retweets but also through likes. He advised ignoring posts if you are uncertain whether the information is official or if the source is unknown.

He wrote that Shueisha is also taking the necessary countermeasures against leaks, but admitted frankly that it was a difficult problem to solve on a society-wide level. Finally, he asked for the cooperation of the public, but said that he cannot take consultations through his personal Twitter account, so he asks for people to use their personal discretion in dealing with the problem.

Last month, the Higurashi: When They Cry production committee warned of online leaks for Higurashi: When They Cry – SOTSU, the followup to the Higurashi: When They Cry – GOU television anime. The production committee will respond to anyone who leaks spoilers about the anime, which includes taking legal action. It will also deal with issues of copyright infringement by requesting to freeze their social media accounts.

Source: Takamitsu Sueyoshi's Twitter account via @soukatsu