VSPO Bans Adult Doujins of Its VTubers

There are two ways a VTuber can operate: independently or as part of an agency. A good example of a VTuber agency is Hololive, which supports its talents in various aspects and provides them with a salary for their activities.

In the world of VTubers, there is an agency called VSPO! Unlike others, VSPO focuses on forming esports teams with VTubers. Recently, the agency has made headlines due to a strict policy they implemented.

VSPO Bans Adult Doujins of Its VTubers

On January 28, VSPO! released a statement addressing an issue regarding unauthorized adult content featuring its VTubers. According to the document, they identified an individual creating and selling multiple explicit illustrations of their talents across various platforms.

After discussions with the accused party, the following agreements were made:

• All related illustrations will be permanently removed.
• The individual is prohibited from creating, publishing, or selling any artwork that violates copyright or harms VSPO talents.
• A compensation fee of 20 million yen (approximately $135,000 USD) will be paid for damages.
• If the agreement is breached, an additional fine of 2.5 million yen (around $17,000 USD) will be imposed, along with the obligation to pay the remaining compensation.

The agency also reinforced that any creation, distribution, or sale of content with sexual connotations or exploitation of VSPO talents is strictly prohibited.

A Common Practice in the Anime Industry

If you’ve been following anime for a while, you know that fan artists often create and sell adult doujins based on anime, manga, games, and even VTubers.

For instance, Hololive has numerous adult doujins featuring its VTubers. Marine, one of Hololive’s most popular VTubers, even has a dedicated hentai artist who exclusively creates doujins of her.

However, VSPO went a step further, stating that they have identified additional cases of unauthorized adult content:

• Other individuals involved have been identified, and compensation claims are already in progress.
• In some cases, settlements have been reached.
• On social media and websites where harassment and defamation against VSPO talents occur, the agency is:
  • Taking legal action against offenders.
  • Contacting site administrators, ISPs, and platforms to remove harmful content and take action against violators.
  • Initiating criminal proceedings in severe cases.

The announcement sparked various reactions online, with people expressing mixed opinions:

• I had no idea people were actually selling this stuff.
• I’ve seen AI-generated versions of these images going around.
• Being immersed in the fanart culture makes you numb to it, but when you really think about it, taking someone else’s character, stripping them, and selling it is pretty cruel.
• I wish Hololive and Nijisanji would enforce stricter penalties too. Too many people are ignoring copyrights and mass-producing questionable AI art for profit.
• Maybe because of the influx of new fans, a lot of people either don’t know or don’t care. When I see this happening, I feel like reporting it immediately.
• Selling explicit edits of real-life idols and actresses without permission is a crime. The same should apply to virtual talents since they are recognized as individuals with unique identities.
• Virtual talents are real people living in the real world, so this should be common sense.
• Funny how VSPO’s VTubers themselves often harass men and make dirty jokes, though. (lol)
• If you’re going to talk about “following the rules,” shouldn’t the agency also enforce them on their own talents?

What do you think about VSPO’s stance on adult doujins?

via VSPO