What’s going on with the Amane Kanata lawsuit?

COVER Corp, on behalf of Hololive Japan talent Amane Kanata, has reportedly filed a lawsuit against an online troll.

Although Hololive and its talents are mostly beloved, it’s not exempt from the usual band of trolls and cyberbullies. As longtime fans know too well, the vtuber agency has faced several controversies regarding “antis” throughout its existence. In January 2024, COVER Corp announced it would take stricter measures against the defamation and slander of its talents. Among those talents is Amane Kanata, who debuted in December 2019. Though she’s had her fair share of troubles, from the graduation of her close friend Kiryu Coco to her real-life ear disease, Kanata kept her spirits up.

However, it appears COVER Corp had to legally step in with a lawsuit after a particularly offensive troll targeted the talent.

Why did Amane Kanata file a lawsuit?

COVER Corp allegedly sent a cease and desist letter to an anonymous Japanese man for mocking Amane Kanata on a gossip site, and the incident may have led to a defamation lawsuit.

An anonymous online user posted images of a supposed cease and desist letter from Cover Corp requesting him to stop posting offensive images towards Amane Kanata. An example of the ASCII art used was included in the letter, which depicted a man defacing a gravestone with the talent’s name. The letter also claims Cover Corp is willing to settle out of court as long as the troll pays a fee of ¥1,000,000, or $7,000. The anonymous user must pay the fee by August 19, 2024. Otherwise, Cover Corp will allegedly pursue legal action.

It’s important to note that neither Amane Kanata nor Cover Corp have confirmed the claims regarding a lawsuit. There’s always the possibility that a troll has faked the letter to cause more discourse. Regardless, the situation has sparked much debate over the issue of suing internet trolls. Many non-Japanese fans didn’t know a lawsuit was even an option, furthering the surprise factor. After the high-profile death of Japanese wrestler Hana Kimura, Japanese laws became stricter about online harassment, with offenders facing up to a year in jail for offenses.

Digital avatar or not, vtubers still face the same harassment as other streamers. The above story is a reminder that online harassment can have severe consequences.