U.S. Government Includes Major Anime Piracy Site in ‘Notorious’ Streaming List

Overview of HiAnime.to’s Controversial Rise

HiAnime.to has outpaced major streaming platforms like Disney+ and Crunchyroll in visitor numbers.
The U.S. government has added HiAnime.to to its Notorious Markets list for piracy.
The website’s future remains uncertain as piracy continues to pose a significant challenge to legitimate streaming services.

Anime Piracy on the U.S. Government’s Radar
- Understanding HiAnime.to
Implications for HiAnime.to
- Potential for HiAnime.to Shutdown

Anime Piracy on the U.S. Government’s Radar

Understanding HiAnime.to

HiAnime.to has garnered significant user attention, boasting higher monthly visitor counts than esteemed platforms such as Disney+ and Crunchyroll. In fact, it reportedly attracts over threefold the visitors compared to Crunchyroll, consistently exceeding 300 million visitors monthly in recent months.

This surge in traffic has attracted scrutiny, placing HiAnime.to under the United States Trade Representative’s watchful eye. Its inclusion in the 2024 Notorious Markets list underscores serious concerns regarding copyright infringement and piracy within the anime streaming realm.

Implications for HiAnime.to

Potential for HiAnime.to Shutdown

The designation by the USTR is not merely a cautionary label. It indicates that HiAnime.to may face severe legal repercussions for its actions, potentially leading to its closure. This mirrors past cases, such as Aniwatch and Zoro.to.site, which were similarly shut down due to piracy allegations.

Although the current environment includes a heightened risk of shutdown, there is a possibility that HiAnime.to could simply rebrand or be replaced by another site seeking to fill the void. Despite efforts to curb illegal streaming, as long as demand persists, the cycle of new piracy platforms emerging will likely continue.

The ramifications of piracy are profound, particularly for content creators and the broader industry, which relies on ad revenue and subscription fees. As we witness this ongoing battle between legal access and piracy, the future landscape of anime streaming remains in a precarious position.

Source: TorrentFreak