Individual charged 20 million yen in damages for illegally selling sexually explicit images of VTubers  

Japanese VTuber agency Vspo! has revealed that it has reached a 20-million-yen settlement with an individual who is accused of selling sexually explicit images of VTubers affiliated with the agency (as reported by Kai-You). This behavior infringes on copyright and violates Vspo!’s guidelines.  

Vspo! (Virtual eSports Project) is a VTuber agency home to numerous esports teams. Their guidelines specifically prohibit violent, grotesque or sexually explicit expressions in the use of their primary content and in the creation of derivative works. 

VTuber copyright infringement and defamation

On January 28, Vspo! reported that a settlement had been reached with an individual who sold sexually explicit images of the agency’s VTubers. The settlement requires the accused to cease selling and delete all relevant illustrations, as well as promise not to engage in such copyright infringement in the future. If the individual swiftly complies with this and pays 2.5 million yen of the settlement, Vspo! has stated that they will waive the remaining damages. 

The group reports that there are several other pending cases of copyright infringement that involve sexually explicit content of its VTubers. Defamation and slander against Vtubers continues to be a big problem as well, with Hololive and Nijisanji owners forming a cross-industry subcommittee to tackle this in May 2024.