Netflix seeks those responsible for Ranma 1/2 and Dandadan leaks via Discord

Netflix has initiated legal action to identify those responsible for the recent leaks of episodes and unreleased movies from its platform. According to documents filed with the Northern District Court of California, the company has requested a subpoena for Discord to share information that allows the user involved in these leaks to be identified, who used the username @jacejohns4n.

The user, known as Jace Johnson, admitted in an interview to having been responsible for what he described as "the worst leak in the history of streaming." Among the leaked content are episodes of anime such as Ranma 1/2, Dandadan, Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- and Terminator Zero, as well as animated and live-action productions, including the second season of Arcane and Heartstopper. These leaks include material with watermarks, annotations, and low resolutions, indicating that they came from a post-production partner.

Leaks and Netflix's response

The incident began in August 2023, when episodes of several series and movies, including the film Gekijōban Mononoke: Karakasa and up to 12 episodes of the new Ranma 1/2 anime, were published on piracy sites such as 4chan and BitTorrent networks. Netflix confirmed that these leaks came from a compromised post-production partner, identified as Iyuno, a California-based localization firm.

(c)高橋留美子・小学館/「らんま 1/2」製作委員会

A Netflix representative stated, "One of our post-production partners has been compromised, and material from several of our titles has been leaked online. Our team is taking aggressive steps to remove it." For his part, Iyuno said that the safety and confidentiality of his customers are his top priority and that they are actively investigating the incident.

Legal Challenges and Ongoing Actions

The subpoena requested by Netflix aims to force Discord to provide information about the user involved, based on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). This law allows rights holders to file subpoenas without the need to initiate legal claims, making it easier to identify anonymous users on platforms such as Discord, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), and Reddit.

Discord, however, has faced criticism for its handling of similar cases. In October, the company was subpoenaed by South Korean publisher Nexon in an intellectual property infringement case, to which Discord responded by calling the requests "inappropriate and excessively burdensome."

Additional details about Iyuno

Iyuno, the firm involved in the incident, works with renowned companies such as Amazon Studios, BBC, Disney, HBO, and DreamWorks. The presence of watermarks and annotations in the leaked episodes supports that the material comes from this localization company.

Netflix has not responded to new requests for comment, and all social media accounts associated with "@jacejohns4n" have been removed or suspended.

Sources: ANN and Polygon