Cross-border investigation disrupts long-running illegal webtoon and manga platforms
ALMERíA, SPAIN, April 17, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Copyright Overseas Promotion Association (COA), a Korean copyright organization representing leading rights holders in the audiovisual and publishing industries, and IP House, a global intellectual property (IP) protection and enforcement company focused on investigating and disrupting all forms of IP crime, today announced their collaboration in a recent enforcement action that led to the disruption of a major Spanish-language online piracy network.
The action follows a comprehensive, multi-month investigation initiated by IP House on behalf of COA, focused on the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted webtoon and manga content through illegal high-traffic digital platforms. The investigation identified a network of interconnected websites, including Visortmo and a related platform, Tumangaonline, which have now been taken offline following recent law enforcement action in Almería, Spain.
The disrupted websites operated as an ad-supported piracy network for several years across multiple domains and were widely used in Spanish-speaking markets to access unauthorized content, generating significant traffic at scale. At their peak, the platforms attracted hundreds of millions of cumulative monthly views, underscoring both their reach and the broader impact of illicit distribution channels in the global content ecosystem. Their removal represents a meaningful step in addressing large-scale copyright infringement affecting creators and publishers worldwide.
Working in coordination with COA and Santiago Mediano Abogados, IP House supported the development of an actionable evidentiary record of piracy. As a result of this effort, Spanish authorities carried out a law enforcement operation targeting individuals associated with the network, leading to the shutdown of both platforms.
“This outcome reflects the strength of cross-border collaboration in addressing complex digital piracy to protect creators, consumers, and the integrity of the global content ecosystem,” said Jan van Voorn, CEO of IP House. “We are proud to have supported COA in advancing this investigation and commend the Spanish National Police for their leadership and effectiveness in executing this enforcement action.”
COA emphasized the broader impact of the operation. “Online copyright infringement is no longer a problem limited to a single creator or country. Given the nature of the online world where spatial and temporal barriers are meaningless, copyright infringement perpetrated by these malicious illegal sites can be most effectively addressed when the private and public sectors actively cooperate across borders. For this reason, this case holds even greater significance,” said Itae Choi, Executive Director of COA.
This case underscores the increasing scale and sophistication of online piracy networks and highlights the need for sustained, intelligence-led enforcement strategies. It also demonstrates the effectiveness of partnerships between rights holders, private-sector investigators, legal experts, and law enforcement authorities in addressing cross-border intellectual property crime.
About IP House
IP House is a global one-stop-shop intellectual property protection and enforcement company delivering end-to-end solutions across online and offline environments. The company combines advanced data intelligence with investigative and field capabilities to identify, analyze, and disrupt IP infringement and fraudulent activity across digital platforms and physical supply chains.
Working with rights holders, industry associations, law enforcement, and legal partners, IP House supports the full enforcement lifecycle, from monitoring and intelligence gathering to investigations, evidence development, and coordinated enforcement actions. Its integrated approach enables clients to address complex, cross-border infringement at scale while protecting brand integrity, content value, and consumer safety. Learn more about IP House.
About COA (Copyright Overseas Promotion Association)
COA is a Korean copyright organization representing leading rights holders in the audiovisual and publishing industries. COA works to promote and protect the global interests of its members through international enforcement, education, and collaboration with partners worldwide. Learn more about COA.
Sydney Redden
IP House
+1 913-488-8874
sydney.redden@ip-house.com
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