Tachiyomi Manga Reader: Threats Motivate Pirates & Boost Engagement
In early January 2024, South Korean company Kakao Entertainment issued legal threats to the developers of Tachiyomi, a popular open-source manga reader app for Android. Kakao demanded the termination of the project and the removal of all its forks, citing concerns over unauthorized access to their webtoon content. In response, Tachiyomi’s developers removed preloaded extensions that facilitated access to various manga sources, transitioning to a “bring-your-own-content” model. Despite these actions, Kakao’s public statements, including claims that installing Tachiyomi posed virus risks, led to backlash from the community. This controversy inadvertently increased engagement with Tachiyomi, highlighting the complexities of anti-piracy efforts and their potential to backfire. (TorrentFreak)
