They are a former pirate site, they went legal around 2008:
On January 8, Crunchyroll will stop accepting user-submitted videos and other content from individuals, and only host videos approved by copyright holders. Gonzo and Toei Animation are two other major Japanese copyright holders of anime that decided to stream on Crunchyroll. ANN interviewed Crunchyroll founder Vu Nguyen in March.
Didn’t realize crunchyroll is a pirate site. Don’t they charge for membership or something?
They are a former pirate site, they went legal around 2008:
On January 8, Crunchyroll will stop accepting user-submitted videos and other content from individuals, and only host videos approved by copyright holders. Gonzo and Toei Animation are two other major Japanese copyright holders of anime that decided to stream on Crunchyroll. ANN interviewed Crunchyroll founder Vu Nguyen in March.
https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-11-17/tv-tokyo-to-also-stream-naruto-through-crunchyroll