Crunchyroll has faced backlash after voice actor David Wald revealed the company has been illegally opening and distributing his fan mail for the past five years, violating U.S. federal law regarding obstruction of correspondence. This revelation sparked widespread outrage, highlighting Crunchyroll’s questionable practices, including its monopoly over anime distribution in the West following its acquisition by Sony. Critics argue that Crunchyroll has become complacent, exemplified by the failure of its original content and a significant price increase for subscriptions. Furthermore, Wald’s situation underscores broader issues within the company, such as alleged discrimination against voice actors and a toxic work environment. Crunchyroll’s response has been inadequate, stating they are investigating the matter but failing to acknowledge their responsibility. This incident adds to the growing list of grievances against Crunchyroll, raising concerns about the treatment of voice actors and the future of anime distribution.
So is it -just- committed a federal crime or have been doing so for years
As far as I remember they started as a pirating site and only later started to acquire more and more streaming licenses. By all means they shouldn’t even be in business today.
Had been. But we’re in a post-accountability era for corporations so most likely nothing will happen.
And that era started in the 1910s.
That era started in the 1700’s Adam Smith ranted about a lack of accountability in corporations.