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Thread: Japan vs. Piracy and "Piracy"

  1. Japan vs. Piracy and "Piracy"

    Quote Originally Posted by Anime News Network
    posted on 2004-08-23 10:38:39
    source: Yahoo News Japan

    Sticker to Identify Legitimate ProductsWith foreign export generating larger and more significant portion of the Japanese entertainment industry's income, especially in manga and anime, Japanese companies are working on methods to minimize their significant losses to piracy.

    Due to its nature, manga sales have not been suffering significant losses to piracy, however there is a large number of pirated CDs and DVDs being sold overseas, large enough for the Japanese industry to begin researching and implementing drastic counter-measures.

    The Japanese visual contents industry will begin labeling products with stickers designating them as legitimate exports, thereby making it easy to identify pirated goods. In July it was reported that 38 Japanese entertainment companies were set to introduce a "Made in Japan" trademark for similar purposes. According to a current report on Yahoo Japan, companies will start adding the stickers to exported goods as early as this September. In order to provide additional ammunition for their fight against international piracy they will also begin applying for trademarks in various countries in North America, Europe and Asia.

    The reports do not mention what measures will be taken to keep piracy operations from copying producing fake copies of the identifying stickers.

    Additionally, it was recently mentioned at the Otakon "State of the Industry" panel that Japanese companies may start direct legal processes against North American fansubbers (more details on this will be presented in our final Otakon coverage later this week).



    http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/article.php?id=5182
    Good show to them for making it easier to discern between pirate copies and actual ones (Before someone's able to copy the sticker, that is. Guess they never thought of that.) but suing fansubbers? They're half the reason anime's so big around here!
    Any thoughts?

  2. God I hope not, then I might have to actually start to pay the rediculous prices they charge for anime DVDs.

  3. Maybe the rediculous prices have something to do with the fact that a lot of people aren't buying the DVDs because of the fansubs?

    Fansubs were all good and well when a lot of anime's domestic release prospects were up in the air, but that's no longer the case, pretty much everything comes out here now.

  4. I download fansubbed crap only until it gets released over here. I consider that moral enough. If they're not going to let us watch it, I don't really have a problem with people translating it for me.

  5. I'm with Nomi, I had all of .hack and .hack//twilight, and I bought all of the dvds, hell the limited editon stuff too. Pretty much, if I watch it fansubbed, and like it, I'll grab the series when it comes out.

  6. #6
    Currently I watch some streamed fansubs on some of the channels on Winamps Internet TV every now and then, but I'm starting to move away from even that. I will say that fansubs has had an affect on what anime I ended up purchasing, but currently it's starting to get to the point that I can let fansubs go.

    Netflix had a good supply of anime and is good about getting new stuff. For those that have cable, cartoon network and G4Tech TV show their good share of anime. Those with Digital Cable can enjoy the Anime Network with On Demand features.

    Not to mention the free DVD's with Newtype (though you have to subscribe to get them now. ), streamed anime from Sputnik 7, and Sampler DVD's that are starting to be released (ADV's releasing them, and though I know you can't judge alot of shows just by 1 episode, it's still better than making a blind purchase. Especially when you get a rebate if you do purchase the full DVD).

    I'll miss fansubs, but their legality is questionable, and companies like ADV are starting to step up and make efforts to really promote their anime that they have to offer. As more and more anime distributors start to do this, the need for fansubs will diminish greatly (I know that we may miss out on some gems, but if you don't actively look for fansubs, you don't have to be disappointed if your favorite fansub doesn't make it stateside).
    Taking it one day at a time.

  7. The Anime Network On Demand is amazing, fansubbing is great and all, but it's usefulness in today's industry is waning. It'll be useful again when the bottom drops out after this boom.
    matthewgood fan
    lupin III fan

  8. #8
    2 things:

    1) They can cut piracy by making more of their products available worldwide, instead of just in Japan, and

    2) Pirates who don't care about the trademarks of the anime itself will not care about pirating the sticker either, trademarked or not.

    While a lot of the shows available domestically (in the US) have pirated counterparts, there are so, so many that aren't even available over here, unless a) pirated, or b) imported for a healthy $ amount and played on an all region player that most people don't own.

    So many pirate copy subtitles suck. Bring out a quality legal US release, and you make some money.
    Last edited by Scourge; 26 Aug 2004 at 04:54 PM.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Scourge
    2 things:

    1) They can cut piracy by making more of their products available worldwide, instead of just in Japan, and

    2) Pirates who don't care about the trademarks of the anime itself will not care about pirating the sticker either, trademarked or not.

    While a lot of the shows available domestically (in the US) have pirated counterparts, there are so, so many that aren't even available over here, unless a) pirated, or b) imported for a healthy $ amount and played on an all region player that most people don't own.

    So many pirate copy subtitles suck. Bring out a quality legal US release, and you make some money.
    The stickers are only to protect those who want to buy authentic import stuff. It's to try to help protect consumers that want to buy legit products.

    As for worldwide releases, excluding companies like bandai, most anime companies never see direct money from US sales if I'm correct. They money that anime companies based in Japan get is from whatever deal they make with a US publisher to sale a licence to them to release the content elsewhere. Many of them could technically care less (in a business sense) if no other territories see their content until a deal is made.
    Taking it one day at a time.

  10. Quote Originally Posted by animegirl20
    God I hope not, then I might have to actually start to pay the rediculous prices they charge for anime DVDs.
    Please quit. Move to Japan, and THEN bitch to us about how expensive anime DVDs are.

    Fansubbing, at least when it comes to anime, is certainly not needed to the level that it was a number of years ago. Plus, unfortunately fan subs are too often used by end viewers as an excuse to not pay for anime.

    At the same time, however, fansubbing, at least for most groups, has never been about piracy. Fansubbing has been about helping Americans enjoy shows that weren't out over here, and once the title was announced for legit release, the fansubs stopped.
    Last edited by mollipen; 26 Aug 2004 at 08:10 PM.
    WARNING: This post may contain violent and disturbing images.

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