Kakao Entertainment Shuts Down Manga Piracy Site Bato.to, Targets MangaPark and AniXL
Kakao Entertainment, the publisher behind the global hit Solo Leveling, has taken decisive action against manga piracy, successfully shutting down Bato.to,one of the world’s largest illegal manga distribution platforms,and signaling further crackdowns on related sites.
Kakao Entertainment’s dedicated anti-piracy division, P.CoK (Protecting the Content of Kakao Entertainment), confirmed its role in the Bato.to takedown. According to a company release, P.CoK identified the site’s founder and core developer, traced their location, and initiated legal proceedings in their country of residence.
The shutdown follows months of technical issues plaguing Bato.to, with reports indicating the primary operator, known as “Larry,” became unresponsive, leading to persistent server errors. Many users initially believed the final outage was simply another glitch, but this proved incorrect.
Kakao entertainment has gone beyond simply taking down the website. The company revealed it has identified “the majority of individuals who are directly or indirectly involved in the operation-such as sub-developers, moderators, and community administrators-and have sequentially issued Cease and Desist (C&D) letters to them.” This targeted approach effectively dismantled the network supporting the piracy site.
The legal pressure has already had a ripple effect. The official Bato.to Discord server and subreddit distanced themselves from the platform, fearing legal repercussions. While former Discord staff have launched a new community, it operates under a strict “no-piracy” policy. This aggressive legal strategy mirrors the tactics that previously led to the closure of the open-source manga reader Tachiyomi.
Interestingly,the anti-piracy efforts are not limited to Bato.to. A senior official stated that many individuals involved with the now-defunct site are also connected to other active piracy hubs,suggesting further shutdowns are likely. Kakao Entertainment has specifically identified MangaPark and AniXL as its next primary targets, citing linked operations.
“We are aware that some of these individuals are also involved in the operation of MangaPark and AniXL, and we are preparing strong legal actions against Mangapark and also newly established Bato-affiliated sites,” the operator told TorrentFreak.
Kakao Entertainment’s commitment to protecting its intellectual property is evident in its broader anti-piracy efforts.In February 2025, the company released its sixth anti-piracy white paper, detailing the removal of 240 million pieces of illegal content in the second half of 2024 alone.Later that year, the company’s aggressive protocols led to the shutdown of Reaper Scans, a major English-language manhwa piracy site. Kakao was also a key driver behind the notable DMCA takedown wave that i
Why did this happen? Kakao Entertainment, driven by a commitment to protecting its intellectual property and the revenue streams of its creators, actively pursued legal action against Bato.to for facilitating widespread manga piracy.
Who was involved? Kakao Entertainment’s P.CoK division spearheaded the effort, identifying and legally pursuing bato.to’s founder, core developer (“Larry”), and associated personnel (moderators, sub-developers, administrators). MangaPark and AniXL are identified as future targets.
What occurred? Kakao Entertainment successfully shut down Bato.to, one of the largest manga piracy sites, through legal action and Cease and Desist letters. The takedown followed months of technical issues and a lack of response from the site’s operator. The company is now targeting MangaPark and AniXL.
How did it end? Bato.to was effectively dismantled through legal pressure, leading to its shutdown. Associated communities (Discord, subreddit) distanced themselves. While “spiritual successors” are emerging, Kakao Entertainment is actively
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