https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Watkins_(businessman)

2channel

Main article: 2channel

2channel is a textboard website that is extremely popular in Japan, particularly among the very right-wing netto-uyoku.[14] It was created in 1999 by Hiroyuki Nishimura, and is the predecessor to all other "chan" sites including 4chan and 8chan.[2] Nishimura was believed to be making $1 million a year from advertising and premium memberships to 2channel in 2008. He hosted the site on N.T. Technology's servers.[2] After a 2013 data breach exposed user credit card data, Watkins seized the 2channel domain in 2014, and took full control of the website and assumed the role of site administrator.[2][3] He has continued to run the website since, renaming it to 5channel in October 2017 to avoid potential trademark litigation from Nishimura, who owns the "2channel" trademark.[15]

Watkins has claimed he seized the 2channel domain because the loss of revenue from the data breach made Nishimura unable to pay hosting costs.[16] Nishimura has claimed that he paid Watkins in full, and that Watkins's seizure of the domain constitutes domain hijacking.[17]