labels promise swift action on K-pop and J-pop pirates

Photo Credit: Reddit

Major labels are swiftly cracking down on K-pop and J-Pop pirates as the genre becomes the fastest-growing music genre among gamers. Here’s the latest.

Users on Reddit noticed the disappearance of two music piracy platforms—Jpopmix and Kpoptap. Both sites hosted full albums of popular acts from their respective niches. But users noticed both sites disappeared on August 20. Now the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) is taking credit for the removal, saying a swift crackdown on other J-Pop and K-pop sources is the focus as the genres explode.

The RIAJ counts among its 65 members the Big Three labels (Sony, Universal, Warner) but also several independent publishers. In partnership with the IFPI, the RIAJ worked to contact the operator of Jpopmix and remove infringing music from the website. The requests were ignored, which prompted the RIAJ to take the fight to the United States, obtaining a DMCA subpoena to identify the site’s owner.

“In response to this situation, we obtained an information disclosure order in the United States against CloudFlare, the content delivery network (CDN) used by the website, with the aim of identifying the site administrator in order to pursue liability for illegal activities,” the RIAJ writes in describing its action.

What’s unclear is whether that subpoena led to information to contact Jpopmix’s operator. It’s possible the owner shuttered the site once they learned of the subpoena. “Our association plans to continue to hold the operators responsible and take legal action against similar sites,” the RIAJ confirms.

The move comes as K-pop is one of the fastest-growing music genres among YouTubers who create content. There has been a 266% increase in K-pop content used in gaming content in the last 12 months, highlighting just how much gamers love K-pop. A new report from Epidemic Sound showcases how content creators who utilize its services are opting more and more often to feature K-pop music as backing for their YouTube gaming content.