In Japan, operators of a website that unauthorizedly posted "spoiler" articles intentionally leaking movie plots online have been sentenced to guilty.

According to the Yomiuri Shimbun and other reports on August 4, the Sendai District Court sentenced a 46-year-old internet service company representative, identified as A, who was indicted on copyright infringement charges for publishing "spoiler articles" containing movie characters' lines and storylines, to two years in prison, suspended for three years, and a fine of 1 million yen (approx. 9.08 million won) the previous day.

The court also ordered the company to pay a fine of 1 million yen, and handed down sentences of one year in prison, suspended for two years, along with fines to three employees who handled operational tasks or wrote articles at the company on the same charges.

According to the ruling, A and the others posted articles containing the names of characters and scene developments related to 10 films, including 'My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission' and 'The Legend & Butterfly', on internet websites between 2021 and 2023.

The court pointed out, "The defendants systematically operated the spoiler sites to earn large advertising revenues," adding, "This could hinder the development of a creative film culture."

(Photo: Capture of an image posted on X (formerly Twitter) by the production company of 'The Legend & Butterfly', Yonhap News)