Last Tuesday, the Chiba Prefecture Police arrested a man for the suspicion of violating Japan's Copyright Act by selling unauthorized, custom Nami figures from pirate manga and anime One Piece.
According to the police, the 25-year-old unemployed male Chinese national from Saitama Prefecture sold three figures last November and March, on an Internet auction site to three men in Tokyo, Aichi, and Saitama Prefectures without first acquiring permission from Toei Animation. The man approximately earned 23,000 yen (about US$290) total during this transactions.
Police also believe that the man imported figures worth a total of about 1.8 million yen (US$22,700) from China since last September.
Called by fans as "ma-kaizoku figures," are modified official merchandises to enhance their erotic appeal, or in other manners not necessarily approved by the original creators.
There have been a couple of arrests made because of custom One Piece female figures, to gain money from adult fans. A 33-year-old man from Tokyo who sold three nude Nami figures, and a couple who made off 800,000 yen from these figures. Both of them leads on figures being imported from China.
Source: Tokyo Shimbun via Anime News Network
