Vietnam: Criminal proceedings against anime pirate site
August 7, 2026

By Nik Roseveare



The Economic Police Division of the Hanoi City Police has reported that it initiated criminal proceedings against a 23-year-old Vietnamese man residing in Dong Nai Province earlier this August, who operates the pirate website Phim Nè, which had been distributing Japanese films, anime, TV dramas, and other content without authorisation, as well as two 29-year-old Vietnamese men residing in Da Nang City, who operate the app for the same website, for crimes involving infringement of copyright and related rights.

CODA Representative Director, Takero Goto, commented: “This criminal enforcement action is not only an important case demonstrating the effectiveness of protecting Japanese content in Vietnam—where such protection had previously been difficult to achieve—but also an important precedent that will significantly advance future rights enforcement.”


The pirate website was launched in June 2025, attracting a total of 1,090 registered members and more than 90,000 visits, with a peak monthly traffic of over 20,000 visits. The site reportedly used automated data collection tools and other means to obtain infringing source materials and distributed films from Japan, the US and Vietnam, as well as other content, with Vietnamese subtitles or dubbing, without obtaining authorisation from the rights holders. In addition, the app distributed works without authorisation and charged users membership fees after 15 minutes of free viewing.

Between early 2025 and April 2026, the operators obtained illicit profits of approximately VND 415 million through a total of 6,451 payments.

This case marks the first criminal enforcement action in Vietnam against intellectual property infringement involving Japanese content, according to CODA’s research. The case was made possible following the signing, in May 2026, by Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung of a Prime Minister’s Official Telegram directing the thorough eradication, prevention, and enforcement against intellectual property rights infringement, which led to the launch of a nationwide intellectual property enforcement campaign.

During coordinated search operations conducted by the police, computers, electronic devices, storage media and other evidence were seized. During subsequent questioning, the operators admitted that they had operated the website and the application. The case is currently proceeding as a formal criminal case, and further investigation is expected to continue with a view toward prosecution. This activity was carried out as part of a project commissioned by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).