'One Piece' Anime Episodes Leaked As Man Gets Arrested; #715-717 Release Dates Confirmed!
A 45-year-old office staff from Hashimoto City in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan had been arrested by Gifu Prefectural Police for uploading three "One Piece" anime episodes online, Crunchyroll writes.
The unnamed suspect is accused for sharing "One Piece" anime episodes online on July 5 via file-sharing program called Share, uploading files from his computer without permission from copyright holders of the popular anime series. "One Piece" anime episodes are produced and owned by Toei Animation, and the police have traced the crime at their cyber patrol.
In Japan, rules on posting copyrighted materials are highly imposed and must be followed both by their residents and citizens alike. It is highly illegal to post any copyrighted content online without acquiring permission from its owners whether for commercial or non-profit purposes.
Lists of copyrighted material include anime and TV programs, movies, music, and magazine pages before and after publishing process. One caught, the perpetrator/s will be punished with a 10-year prison sentence or a fine of 10 million yen ($86,700), depending on the severity.
The suspect for uploading "One Piece" anime episodes admitted on the charges. He stated: "I knew it was wrong, but since so many others had done the same thing, I thought I would never get arrested." His name was withheld for privacy concerns.
Meanwhile, the latest "One Piece" episode aired last Sunday, Oct. 18 in Japan, and it shows Princess Mansherry captured by the Donquixote executive after hearing about her incredible healing powers. Leo must save her or she will be forced to heal all the beaten executives in the battle, leaving the Straw Hat gang with no chances of winning according to a review from The Fandom Post.
"One Piece" is currently one of the longest-running anime series to date, with the first episode premiered exactly 16 years ago today - Oct. 20, 1999. It currently runs on its 17th season, and upcoming episodes 715 to 717 will premiere on Oct. 25, Nov. 1 and Nov. 8 respectively.
