Forum - View topicReporting to US licensors: good and right thing to do?
|
Goto page 1, 2, 3, 4 Next |
| Author | Message | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Kusanagi_Kei
 Posts: 230 |
|
|||
|
I know the question sounds really pathetic.
But I think as many people already know, the hundreds of illegal group who copy and distribute licensed anime on the internet should be reported to the US licensing companies, correct? I know this is a right thing to do, but do you think is also a good thing to do? Hypothetically speaking, let's say someone had reported an entirely list of anime that have been licensed by "company A" that are currently being illegally distributed by "group X". And then "company A" sends a C&D letter to "group X", thus making "group X" remove all of the distribution sources of all the anime that "company A" has licensed. Do you think that would do harm to the industry? I.e. prevent people from enjoying "splendid previews" before buying the legitimate copies? Do you think that "company A" would respond to this report from the anime fan who was trying help(?) the company/industry? I'm sure you all know what groups and people I'm referring to when I say "group X". Has anyone reported to US licensors (e.g. Geneon, Bandai, ADV etc.) before (please don't be shy and stand up front), if so, did the companies comply to your request/suggestion? |
||||
|
||||
|
dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor
 Posts: 9902 Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC |
|
|||
I'm not getting into moral issues; just the facts. It's ridiculously inefficient to report individual fansubbing / ripping groups. There's a big web hub everyone knows contains ALL fansubbing / ripping information. All licensors have to do is just sending C&D letters by following links in that hub. If you and I know how to get it done, I wonder why their company lawyers (getting paid with ten times of our salaries) haven't done it yet after all these years. 
|
||||
|
||||
|
Kusanagi_Kei
Posts: 230 |
|
|||
Precisely, which makes me suspicious of these US companies. Do they deliberately leave these groups to their own will, and let them rip and distribute? Do the companies see this as helping their industries, or they just don't want to disappoint or ruin anime viewers' free anime? I just don't get it. I mean there are (just like dormcat had said) hundreds of links around on the net, and I'm positive that the US licensors are aware of them. Maybe there's some conspiracy. 
|
||||
|
||||
|
Nagisa
Moderator
 Posts: 6128 Location: Atlanta-ish, Jawjuh |
|
|||
|
I suspect, though I know I'm probably way off, that the distributors know about these groups, but also know that it would be too costly and time consuming to actually commit to some outright campaign to try and shut them all down, seeing as fansubbers are quite adaptable to certain...situations, and can easily rename themselves and dig deeper underground, thus defeating the purpose of the initial C&D. However, instead of simply giving up, the distributors will instead wait and take action under certain conditions. Say, for example, waiting until the first volume streets to send out C&Ds, or holding off until one or more of the fansub groups handling a show becomes too big or too public and threatens profits (moreso than fansubbers usually do).
Basically, what I suspect is that it's like a game of Whack-A-Mole. You know there's a mole inside each and every hole, but instead of reaching down and pulling them all out, you wait for them to pop their heads up and then strike when they do. Again, I'm probably miles off in this assessment, but that's how it appears to me, at least. |
||||
|
||||
Keonyn
 Subscriber Posts: 5567 Location: Coon Rapids, MN |
|
|||
|
Well, look what happened when Funi made a few efforts to protect their licenses, threats of boycotts and angry fans writing angry letters and threads that went for a number of pages just discussing the issue.
It would do them more harm then good to really crack down on it, potentially alienating many of the fans and decreasing potential exposure to their licensed products. A lot of people who download fansubs still buy the legitimate releases and a lot of people wouldn't buy those releases without the ability to first see the title through some means, mainly fansubs in this case. The only fans that truly do any significant damage are those that use fansubs as a means to freeload and take without paying for the product. The potential whiplash to an effort to put a stop to them wouldn't make it worth the effort for the companies. They'd stop some freeloaders but they'd lose exposure and they'd tick off the fans. |
||||
|
||||
|
shintot
Posts: 42 |
|
|||
|
Stupidly fell for a certain April fools joke, editing out of complete embarrasment.
Last edited by shintot on Mon Apr 03, 2006 7:36 pm; edited 1 time in total |
||||
|
||||
|
Alex K.
Posts: 247 |
|
|||
Angry fans? More like angry obsessed otaku who think anime is a right and think stealing anime is okay, even though they claim to be fans of it. That is just pathetic. It's my belief that fansubbing a series is all right, as long as you stop distributing it once it's licensed. Another exception is if the licensed version is a bastardation of the original, like One Piece. Otherwise, there's no good reason for fansubbing, and those who continue to fansub a licensed series while claiming to be fans of don't deserve to watch anime. Anime is a privilege, not a right. |
||||
|
||||
Azathrael
 Posts: 745 |
|
|||
|
Maybe I should add some fuel:
What if anime were legitimately available online? If they're not going to crack down on each and every fansub out there and still insist on selling expensive DVDs, why not just compromise and market their licenses online? If companies made .mp3 files work then they can make .avi files work. And I doubt people are so leech-minded that they won't spend half the price of a DVD to buy the anime legitimately and get to keep it in their HDD. |
||||
|
||||
|
shintot
Posts: 42 |
|
|||
I disagree, seeing an anime when it is released is a right, for a certain population, ie. those who are allowed to watch it freely BROADCAST as over the airwaves. What is wrong with it being recorded onto DVD (which is still a right), and shared with "fans" who may have missed it, not being home, not owning a recording device. And if shown to them, why not the rest of fans. As long as a "fan" likes it enough to buy the DVD's (as is the case in Japan too), there should be no problem with fansubs. LOL, I know I'll draw fire for this one, bring it on. |
||||
|
||||
|
Keonyn
Subscriber Posts: 5567 Location: Coon Rapids, MN |
|
|||
|
Oh, I do pretty much agree with you for the most part Alex K. I'm not a big fan of fansubbing myself, but let's face it, there are a lot of people out there who make use of fansubs, whether to trial run a series or to view it prior to licensing. A lot of the exposure for licensed series comes from the existence of fansubs.
It's a can of worms really, and as long as the relationship remains somewhat symbiotic I don't think they're going to be too concerned. While some of those anime fans are indeed as you say, angry otakus who see it as their right to take what they want, some are just fans who use fansubs to test run a series before they buy. It's a complicated issue and the companies stand to possibly lose more than they gain by confronting it, I'm sure if push came to shove we would see more action from them but for now I'm sure they're content at being blissfully ignorant. Last edited by Keonyn on Mon Apr 03, 2006 7:43 pm; edited 1 time in total |
||||
|
||||
|
Kusanagi_Kei
Posts: 230 |
|
|||
|
People, thanks for the feedback.
I am actually referring to the DVD ripping groups more than the fansubbers who still distribute after licensing. I'm talking about groups like.... *cough cough* B*xt*rr**ts Anime4*v*r and that group fansub group which I hate: KAA Of course, these are just several of the few hundreds of rippers and fansubbing groups out there who distribute licensed anime.
Yeah, this was what I was talking about when I was asking about whether it's good to the industry and its fans. For the torrent group that begins with the word "Box", they seem to have received (long ago) a letter from several companies including ADV and FUNimation, but they still see it as completely correct to distribute other anime not licensed by those companies that didn't send a C&D letter. It's kind of irritating (to me at least). I actually have a whole list of anime that were licensed by Bandai Entertainment, that they are distributing. That group (i.e. the one that begins with Box) is currently distributing 91 of Bandai's total of 113 titles illegally (obviously). And I'm here ready to report this list to Bandai Ent. via e-mail. So what do you think folks? You think there is a 0.01% chance that Bandai will comply to this report?
|
||||
|
||||
Arkard
 Posts: 677 Location: Poland |
|
|||
Well Box seems quite more oriented on international users, as I see it. When a series gets licensed in USA Box is always a place where people from other countries *cough*me*cough* can turn for their anime fill.
Now lets not make any rush decisions here 
|
||||
|
||||
jousha
 Posts: 205 Location: the floating world |
|
|||
Kusanagi-Kei, Arkard's right. You seem to have left out that the internet is vaster than the US and that certain subbers are thinking of international anime fans. I admit that there could be some to use that as a scapegoat into transmitting illegally, but I'm sure that there are innocent subbers out there trying to serve those outside the US. Overall, though, it's an icky topic for me. We all have different limits when it comes to downloading or ripping stuff. For example, I don't mind using ARES and BT for certain music and anime, but I don't feel right ripping off of one of my own dvd's that I bought or rented. Likewise, another person could be all for ripping dvd's, while another person is totally against downloading of any kind. I don't think the moral issue here is exactly subjective, but I've noticed we all have our own limits. |
||||
|
||||
outlawwolf
 Posts: 645 |
|
|||
|
Even though I was an avid member of the anti-fansub community, I have to admit that there are occasions where fansubs are neccessary. Shows like Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad and Honey & Clover where there is little to no chance of it being aired here on american tv, or shows like One Piece where the dubbing company massacred the original product (and I don't just mean name changes). I do however agree that any real american fan will at least give the american dub a chance, and if they like, will go out and buy the anime.
|
||||
|
||||
Kouji
 Posts: 978 |
|
|||
|
||||
|
||||
 |
All times are GMT - 5 Hours |
|
|
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group