© Kodansha
Kodansha announced last Wednesday that it won its copyright infringement lawsuit against Russian company IQ Art Management LLC on June 24.
In early July 2023, Kodansha learned that IQ held a paid event in St. Petersburg, Russia from April-October 2023. The event featured 18 exhibited works, such as Attack on Titan, without Kodansha‘s authorization. Kodansha filed a lawsuit on July 4, 2024 against IQ for copyright infringement in the Arbitration Court of Saint Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast, Russia.
The court ruled in favor of Kodansha on April 7, ordering IQ to pay 3.75 million rubies (about US$48,000) in damages and 26,000 rubies (about US$333) in legal fees for copyright infringment of 15 of the 18 works and profiting from unauthorized events. Neither party appealed before the finalized judgment on June 24.
Kodansha stated that it will continue to take strict measures against infringment, including unauthorized events, in Japan and internationally.
Source: Press release