China has ended its battle with one of the world’s largest illegal manga networks.

The anti‑piracy coalition announced the shutdown of the largest illegal manga distribution network

*The Chinese portal Bato.to and about 60 affiliated sites, including xbato.com and mangapark.io, were officially recognized as one of the biggest global sources of pirated manga. The site distributed content in more than 50 languages.*

How it all happened
Period | What happened
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May 2025 | All traffic to Bato.to reached 350 million views. During peak months the site earned over 400 thousand yuan (≈ 57 k$) through advertising.
November of last year | The Content Distribution Overseas Association (CODA) reported the arrest of a suspect for copyright infringement. He later admitted that he ran Bato.to and its network.
After the arrest | The operator was released on bail; an official charge of illegal activity is expected to be filed.
CODA stated that the site obtained manga for scanning and translating comics without permission from rights holders.

Role of the coalition
- The Anti‑Piracy Coalition (Japan), together with CODA and cybersecurity experts, identified the Bato.to operator.
- Goto Takero, authorized director of CODA, emphasized that the organization will continue active efforts against piracy in the manga sector, given its global popularity.

Outcome
The blocking of Bato.to and related sites is seen as an important step in protecting Japanese manga copyright. A trial concerning the operator is ongoing, and the coalition plans further measures to prevent similar violations.