Japanese copyright holders ask Funimation to eliminate unauthorized videos on net

The North American anime distributor Funimation has informed ANN that the Fractale Production Committee — the Japanese copyright holders of the Fractale television anime series — has forced the company to halt its simulcast of Fractale after only one episode. According to Funimation representatives, the committee requested that Funimation eliminates unauthorized videos of the anime on the Internet — including streaming sites, file-sharing networks, and file servers — before its simulcast will be allowed to continue. As a result, there will not be a simulcast of the second Fractale episode tomorrow, and the rest of the series' simulcast is on indefinite hold.

Funimation Marketing Director Lance Heiskell told ANN, "We are disappointed that this series has been distributed illegally, and we're actively working to remove the first episode from illegal streaming and downloading sites; we've got a dedicated anti-piracy team in place that works on controlling all of our simulcast material. However, our Japanese partners for this series have decided that since this episode is currently uncontrolled and is available illegally in all territories, they don't want the episode online."

The fantasy anime premiered in Fuji TV's late-night Noitamina timeslot in Japan and on Funimation's streaming service in North America last Thursday; Funimation has an ongoing deal in place to simulcast programs from that timeslot. Kannagi and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya's Yutaka Yamamoto is directing the anime at his studio Ordet and A-1 Pictures. As of Wednesday evening, the first episode is still streaming on Funimation's website.

The story is set on an island at the far reaches of a continent where the "Frac tale System" is on the brink of collapse. A boy named Clain embarks on a journey to search for Phryne — a girl who disappeared, leaving behind only a pendant. Clain will eventually learn the secrets of the "System."

Image © Fractale Production Committee