- 1,824
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Japanese Government Enforcing Anti-Piracy Law on Anime and Manga
- Thread starter Aquarelle
- 106 comments
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- 22,551
- Arizona
- HamiltonMP427
@Azuremen the community in general doesn't seem to be in the business of trying to make money of scanlations as I said earlier I've followed this stuff since 2004 as far as I remember, when people on Yahoo and Aol forum and chat areas (when they were around) would post up the big three (OP, Naruto, and Bleach) among other manga to read. Those were closed down by the sites due to pressure from the actual publishers in Japan if I recall correctly.
That last big sweeps I remember are the ones that took out the next wave of big scanlators like Mangareader, one manga, manga fox and what ever other big ones that have long died back in 09/10 that I forgot about. Then you had a big sweep in 2012 I think it was due to legislation and publishers again wanting to give it to certain regional companies like Viz and make further money. They obviously did this because they could see the market worth and massive fan base that was being generated.
So they devised the plan to start sending over manga chapters that were now only 2 or 3 weeks behind schedule rather than the few months previously. Renamed Shonen jump as Shonen Jump Alpha with this tagline of being up to date with your favorite manga as if as good as the scans (though still behind).
As a fellow reader of scans and a person that has used IRC for years (decade plus) to chat within communities to know what's going on and where I can follow manga if a site is going down, I've been aware of this. I'm surprised others on here haven't.
That last big sweeps I remember are the ones that took out the next wave of big scanlators like Mangareader, one manga, manga fox and what ever other big ones that have long died back in 09/10 that I forgot about. Then you had a big sweep in 2012 I think it was due to legislation and publishers again wanting to give it to certain regional companies like Viz and make further money. They obviously did this because they could see the market worth and massive fan base that was being generated.
So they devised the plan to start sending over manga chapters that were now only 2 or 3 weeks behind schedule rather than the few months previously. Renamed Shonen jump as Shonen Jump Alpha with this tagline of being up to date with your favorite manga as if as good as the scans (though still behind).
As a fellow reader of scans and a person that has used IRC for years (decade plus) to chat within communities to know what's going on and where I can follow manga if a site is going down, I've been aware of this. I'm surprised others on here haven't.
- 6,776
- Florida
- gtamann123
Disclaimer: I didn't read any of your comments.
The ironic thing is that with piracy, anime/manga has such a huge international audience. They're not making much from us anyway for several reasons:
-Accessibility is low. With whatever is available, they're extremely mediocre. I personally blame that on the average North American's tastes.
-Prices for physical copies cost a ridiculous amount of money. I know exporting ain't cheap, but either find a way around or don't expect any international sales.
Taking away accessibility will certain result in a drop of fandom worldwide. You can probably bet Anime Expo would see a massive drop in guests if the anti-piracy laws are enforced thoroughly. But it's not my call. If I don't have access to the shows I want to watch. I guess I'll just quit anime altogether
I agree with this.
Streaming sites like Crunchyroll and Hulu get the job done and cover popular anime. And the majority of the time their subs work pretty well. However, if you have a show you want to watch but isn't streaming anywhere, you don't have much choice but to torrent it. I don't think someone would take the time to find the DVD/BD copy of the show, buy it, wait for it to arrive, pop it in a DVD/BD player and watch it. Usually people torrent a show and watch it, and if they like it, they buy a legal DVD/BD copy from a reputable distributor. But not everyone does this. Plus not every anime will have a good legal copy.
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- 13,907
- Adelaide
- Neomone
It's not always entirely obvious what is legal and what is bootleg any more either, at least as far as purchasing online. If Grandma wanted to buy little Jimmy a copy of the Evangelion box set for his birthday, she's probably not going to be aware of the differences between a real and a pirate copy and how to spot a dodgy dealer.
Hell, your average buyer probably isn't in much of a better position.
I do agree with your description of the likely buying process for most people though. Starting by torrenting a few episodes at least is just common sense, in the lack of anywhere else to preview a show. Then move on to getting a real copy, if that's the intention.
- 23,800
- Philippines
As an aside, guys, remember, no discussion of whether you use torrent to "pirate", of how to torrent or promotion of torrent, please... against the AUP.
You can discuss the technical and theoretical implications of such, though, since it is part of the topic of the thread.
You can discuss the technical and theoretical implications of such, though, since it is part of the topic of the thread.
- 3,871
- Chad
- kennylmao
@Cano For every one I remember, I forget 10 more. I only remembered Imari cuz Black... nevermind.
@Not_A_Guest Just fyi, Jlist seems to be one of the sketchy sites. Not that their figures aren't legit but they have done things like this -> http://myfigurecollection.net/blog/11732 Also, the comments. Especially their tshirts.
@Imari You can still get that Asuka.
I see her pop up on the preowned market occasionally for a pretty reasonable price.
@Not_A_Guest Just fyi, Jlist seems to be one of the sketchy sites. Not that their figures aren't legit but they have done things like this -> http://myfigurecollection.net/blog/11732 Also, the comments. Especially their tshirts.
@Imari You can still get that Asuka.
I see her pop up on the preowned market occasionally for a pretty reasonable price.
- 21,193
- United States
- nk4e
Well, I thought it was good to see with the International digital release of SAO II on Hulu, Daisuki, and Crunchyroll. It seemed a better way to watch it then wait for some site to fan sub it. I wonder if they are going to expand on it. It is sad to some people are not happy with certain distributors handling some titles.
Lain
Premium
- 7,090
- Pasadena, TX
- Yaywalter
Disclaimer: I didn't read any of your comments.
The ironic thing is that with piracy, anime/manga has such a huge international audience. They're not making much from us anyway for several reasons:
-Accessibility is low. With whatever is available, they're extremely mediocre. I personally blame that on the average North American's tastes.
-Prices for physical copies cost a ridiculous amount of money. I know exporting ain't cheap, but either find a way around or don't expect any international sales.
Taking away accessibility will certain result in a drop of fandom worldwide. You can probably bet Anime Expo would see a massive drop in guests if the anti-piracy laws are enforced thoroughly. But it's not my call. If I don't have access to the shows I want to watch. I guess I'll just quit anime altogether
Spot on.
For every 1 anime that sees an official English release, even if it's only subbed, there are dozens of anime that doesn't. And it's not always (read:rarely) the cream of the crop that gets translated, it's what they think will sell that gets translated... AKA mostly dumb shounen shows.
And anime costs TOO DAMN MUCH. I get it, it's expensive to produce. But guess what? If you reduced the price a bit and tapped into your English fanbase, you'd almost certainly make way more money.
Downhill Dino
Premium
- 11,754
- Maryland
- DownhillDinosaur
I saw this a day or two ago and I wonder if it will be futile like past sweeps? What could they do differently? Such a big scene to take on.
Cano
- 13,907
- Adelaide
- Neomone
@Imari You can still get that Asuka.
There are still new ones floating around in shops too. I could get one, but it eliminates the fun of the chase. Next time I go back to Japan I'm going to go on a treasure hunt, and that's one of the things on the list. It's not so much the having it that's fun as the getting it in the first place.
That sort of stuff is great and should be encouraged. It's the shows that don't get international releases that are where it becomes tricky.
If fansubs get squashed but there is no equivalent English release on the near horizon, that's a problem to most users.
- 22,551
- Arizona
- HamiltonMP427
This exactly, it seems that since it's a major business in Japan that people want to cash in yet still not reduce costs which is strange after how many decades of it growing and growing and still seeming to grow. I agree with everything here accept the Shounen...they're not dumb. OP is probably the greatest manga/comic I've read and I've read a lot.
AOS-
Premium
- 28,801
- 'Sauga, ON
Maybe not One Piece, but based on a lot of shows I've seen, most shounen-targeted shows that are super popular don't compare well to some of the other lesser known shows.
Heck, I wouldn't have ever learned of or even given Aria a try if my only option was to buy the DVD collection. But that's a whole different topic, so I'll stop there.
Heck, I wouldn't have ever learned of or even given Aria a try if my only option was to buy the DVD collection. But that's a whole different topic, so I'll stop there.
Cano
Premium
- 20,758
- Cephiro
Nice to see everyone chiming in. Now, my take, which is the same as every freaking time something like this has happened.
first off, I agree with AOS, if it wasn't for piracy, anime wouldn't be anywhere near where it's now. These are not the days when all you had for watching anime was what was on TV.
Now, that doesn't mean I'm not for legal ways of watching this stuff, but it just won't happen to the extent that it has to happen in order to be a viable solution because of two reasons:
1- It won't cover all the anime. And I'm not just talking about all the new releases that'll probably won't get streamed because they may not be a commercial hit, I'm talking about all the older stuff, specially the more obscure stuff. The last show I downloaded was Queen Milenia, a 1981 series. Will that get a stream too? I can see Evangelion possibly getting a legal stream because, well, Evangelion. Same with other very famous shows, because they've earned it, but after you watch those, you'll probably want more and start digging around and you will find stuff you want to watch that won't have a stream. Ok, you saw Eva. Will Bokurano get a legal stream? Yeah, nobody knows what it is so heck it, they'll probably won't want to watch it.
2- The "worldwide" aspect of this is laughable. So far all the people that have talked here are native english-speakers (I think), but when you come down to a god-forgotten place like this, with a language that also has several spin-offs -lets just say that there is spain spanish and latin american spanish, both with differences big enough to be hard to understand... not to mention annoying as all the hell, I can't stand spanish from Spain to the point of not watching stuff if it's subbed that way. The dubbing straight makes me want to puke- makes this a lot damn harder. Are they gonna release subs in every damned language in the world? There have been efforts lately, Crunchyroll's Latin American service is excelent because it is indeed latin american (Mexico-made I think, in fact) and not just spanish-from-Spain subs, it has been an enormous step, but their catalog makes me laugh, and that takes us back to number 1.
And I won't even touch manga translating. I cannot even begin to fathom how much manga is made every day. Will all of it be released in every world language? Sure.
This law simply cannot cover all the stuff. It just can't. However, by restricting it, it will do a very big damage to the industry. Yes, money might reach the producers in the begining, but it will alienate the (already alienated) anime fanbase to the point that in some years, give it 5-10, the number will drop dramatically, and so will sales. I understand that they're trying to isntitutionalize this and make it a law and stuff, but frankly, it will do more harm than good.
also, @Imari, I didn't know you did scanlating and stuff, very cool 👍
first off, I agree with AOS, if it wasn't for piracy, anime wouldn't be anywhere near where it's now. These are not the days when all you had for watching anime was what was on TV.
Now, that doesn't mean I'm not for legal ways of watching this stuff, but it just won't happen to the extent that it has to happen in order to be a viable solution because of two reasons:
1- It won't cover all the anime. And I'm not just talking about all the new releases that'll probably won't get streamed because they may not be a commercial hit, I'm talking about all the older stuff, specially the more obscure stuff. The last show I downloaded was Queen Milenia, a 1981 series. Will that get a stream too? I can see Evangelion possibly getting a legal stream because, well, Evangelion. Same with other very famous shows, because they've earned it, but after you watch those, you'll probably want more and start digging around and you will find stuff you want to watch that won't have a stream. Ok, you saw Eva. Will Bokurano get a legal stream? Yeah, nobody knows what it is so heck it, they'll probably won't want to watch it.
2- The "worldwide" aspect of this is laughable. So far all the people that have talked here are native english-speakers (I think), but when you come down to a god-forgotten place like this, with a language that also has several spin-offs -lets just say that there is spain spanish and latin american spanish, both with differences big enough to be hard to understand... not to mention annoying as all the hell, I can't stand spanish from Spain to the point of not watching stuff if it's subbed that way. The dubbing straight makes me want to puke- makes this a lot damn harder. Are they gonna release subs in every damned language in the world? There have been efforts lately, Crunchyroll's Latin American service is excelent because it is indeed latin american (Mexico-made I think, in fact) and not just spanish-from-Spain subs, it has been an enormous step, but their catalog makes me laugh, and that takes us back to number 1.
And I won't even touch manga translating. I cannot even begin to fathom how much manga is made every day. Will all of it be released in every world language? Sure.
This law simply cannot cover all the stuff. It just can't. However, by restricting it, it will do a very big damage to the industry. Yes, money might reach the producers in the begining, but it will alienate the (already alienated) anime fanbase to the point that in some years, give it 5-10, the number will drop dramatically, and so will sales. I understand that they're trying to isntitutionalize this and make it a law and stuff, but frankly, it will do more harm than good.
also, @Imari, I didn't know you did scanlating and stuff, very cool 👍
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- 22,551
- Arizona
- HamiltonMP427
- 565
- esseX
If this plan works as intended, it could very well kill all presence anime and manga have developed in the west.
Often, an anime series won't be released globally, or be translated into non-Japanese languages. Sometimes, it's only available on streaming sites, which relies on the user being tethered to an internet connection and a low-quality stream in order to watch it (and even then, most people have to choose between a Funimation, Crunchyroll or Netflix subscription - meaning that you can't watch the shows that aren't streamed on the service you're subscribed to). Often, English dubs are licensed separately, and aren't available in all English-speaking regions. Not all anime is available in the US, even less in Europe, and less still on Blu-Ray - and, of course, European law means that cheating Blu-Ray's region lockout counts as "copyright infringement".
Anime can also be prohibitively expensive, and prices are totally incongruous worldwide; Madoka Magica on Blu-Ray, for example, will cost you the equivalent of about ~$40 in the UK - whereas in the US, it's more than double that. Yet, Strike Witches on Blu-Ray in the US is cheaper than the DVD version is in the UK. Again, it makes absolutely no sense - and if we were forced to pay Japan prices for the shows we liked... well, anime's worldwide audience would die in an instant.
The reason why I pirate shows is not "lol I want free stuff"; it's because of ongoing issues with the availability and pricing of high-quality media. The fact that anime piracy is as rampant as it is means that there are serious customer service problems in the anime industry. In this case, eliminating piracy would eliminate almost all potential customers and harm the industry - but Japan's one-dimensional views on "copyright infringement" blind them to the needs of global consumers. In short: they're to arrogant to care about us, and anime will not be capable of competing with western media if that attitude continues.
Often, an anime series won't be released globally, or be translated into non-Japanese languages. Sometimes, it's only available on streaming sites, which relies on the user being tethered to an internet connection and a low-quality stream in order to watch it (and even then, most people have to choose between a Funimation, Crunchyroll or Netflix subscription - meaning that you can't watch the shows that aren't streamed on the service you're subscribed to). Often, English dubs are licensed separately, and aren't available in all English-speaking regions. Not all anime is available in the US, even less in Europe, and less still on Blu-Ray - and, of course, European law means that cheating Blu-Ray's region lockout counts as "copyright infringement".
Anime can also be prohibitively expensive, and prices are totally incongruous worldwide; Madoka Magica on Blu-Ray, for example, will cost you the equivalent of about ~$40 in the UK - whereas in the US, it's more than double that. Yet, Strike Witches on Blu-Ray in the US is cheaper than the DVD version is in the UK. Again, it makes absolutely no sense - and if we were forced to pay Japan prices for the shows we liked... well, anime's worldwide audience would die in an instant.
The reason why I pirate shows is not "lol I want free stuff"; it's because of ongoing issues with the availability and pricing of high-quality media. The fact that anime piracy is as rampant as it is means that there are serious customer service problems in the anime industry. In this case, eliminating piracy would eliminate almost all potential customers and harm the industry - but Japan's one-dimensional views on "copyright infringement" blind them to the needs of global consumers. In short: they're to arrogant to care about us, and anime will not be capable of competing with western media if that attitude continues.
- 1,824
- California
Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio's manga was... let's just say "odd." The anime was done using an unusual animation program, the likes of which I hadn't seen before. It looked great, much better than the manga.
- 22,551
- Arizona
- HamiltonMP427
Okay, that's fine it doesn't really change the fact that literature is usually easier to obtain and bring to other people more so than motion visuals and audio. I mean I enjoy FLCL in anime form more so than the Manga but that has little to do with this.
- 1,824
- California
Sounds about right.
I remember when I used to walk to my bookstore and spend an entire weekend afternoon reading stuff like Chobits and Rosario+Vampire (bad choice). Unfortunately, the selection was rather limited because America. I only go there to read Motor Trend and otaku magazines now
- 3,455
- Brisbane
- Uriehusky
- Uriehusky
Update: Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry revealed its Manga-Anime Guardians project, which will monitor and remove illegally uploaded copies of anime and manga. The project aims to create an environment where people can enjoy official versions, spur creation, and continue to create new works and cultivate new talent. The METI states online piracy hurts Japan by nearly $20 billion. Over half of US anime and manga fans watch and read pirated works, according to the METI.
The project is a part of the Manga-Anime Anti-Piracy Committee, which includes Aniplex, Kadokawa, Good Smile Company, Kodansha, Sunrise, Shueisha, Shogakukan, ShoPro, Studio Ghibli, Tezuka Productions, Toei Animation, TMS Entertainment, Bandai Namco Games, Pierrot, and Bushiroad.
The project is a part of the Manga-Anime Anti-Piracy Committee, which includes Aniplex, Kadokawa, Good Smile Company, Kodansha, Sunrise, Shueisha, Shogakukan, ShoPro, Studio Ghibli, Tezuka Productions, Toei Animation, TMS Entertainment, Bandai Namco Games, Pierrot, and Bushiroad.
- 1,824
- California
I wish they would realize they're shooting themselves in the foot, trying to do this...
- 9,055
- Murica
- BasedAckbar
- 1,824
- California
Not his fault. I think everybody knows what it is by now.If I were a mod I'd ban you for mentioning Boku no Pico.
My friend told me to google image search that. Never again.
- 9,055
- Murica
- BasedAckbar
Well now I do, and whenever someone tells me to google image search something now I will do it with safesearch on.
- 22,551
- Arizona
- HamiltonMP427
Before we get too worked up over this what makes them think they'll be able to put a stop to this more so than they were 2 years ago or before that?
- 21,193
- United States
- nk4e
Non-TGAT thread still going off topic with TGAT members
Stricter Internet policies between Countries? Production companies finding better ways to show their shows internationally than traditional outlets?Asuka? Shinji?
- 22,551
- Arizona
- HamiltonMP427
- 1,824
- California
- 21,193
- United States
- nk4e
It will probably hurt the piracy a bit but it bounce back.
