A big blow for the fansub community

Paul

Paul

Ghost of Animes
Administrator
Today has seen some important news emerge from perhaps the largest anime fansub portal, AnimeSuki. Japan-based producer Media Factory Inc. have requested that AnimeSuki remove links to several of their anime series (which include the popular Gankutsuou and Kimi ga Nozomu Eien).

Typically, Japanese anime producers have turned a blind eye to fansubs (because strictly speaking, they are illegal)- preferring to let them aid in building up a sizable reputation for their work outside of Japan. Fansub distribution is only usually halted once an English speaking nation picks up the respective official distribution rights.

This move by Media Factory Inc. has left anime fans questioning whether or not this could be the beginning of the end for the fansub community- will other Japan-based anime producers follow suit and also request a halt to their distribution?

Ironically, our most recent visitor poll asked you if fansubs were good or bad for the UK anime industry- 60% of you answered with 'Good', 18% replying with 'Bad'.
 
Personally, I think this is a big mistake by Media Factory.

I'm basically running this website now because of Naruto fansubs and without them, I doubt I would even be much of an anime fan. Granted, fansubs are basically piracy- but the impact they have had on the worldwide anime scene is unquestionable. Worldwide anime sales have been consistently improving and I put a lot of that down to the buzz built up by fansub efforts.
 
i think this is a bad move from Media Factory too, Tho i dont think other companys will follow as it will make alot of fans anger. If they do the anime fanfactor will go way down in the us and uk. I dont see the end of fansubing for some time going to take alot more then this to stop it
 
While I see the point that fansubs have a positive impact on anime sales outside of Japan, I can also understand why Media Factory want to protect their property.

It's probably not going to affect anime sales in the US and UK that much either way, though; as far as I've seen it, the majority of people who are really into fansubs are the real fans who will buy the product when it comes out. I can't see anybody boycotting Media Factory releases as a result of this, somehow.
 
Its a fair point, but Media Factory are perfectly within their rights - they do own the series after all. I somehow doubt that this will spell the end for fansubbing in general - it creates too much of a big market for companies to ignore, and even if fansubbing does get banned, newer ways of viewing unreleased anime will eventually become available as technology advances (which of course is the reason we have fansubs now). This is a bit annoying though, as most of the reason I upgraded this computer was so I could download fansubs. Typical...

It appears that <a href="http://www.wannabefansubs.net/tenma/index.php?showtopic=48" target="_blank">Wannabe Fansubs</a> have also been threatened with legal action as well.
 
Media Factory are certainly within their rights to do this, but from a purely commercial stand point- this doesn't really make sense. The likes of Kimi ga Nozomu Eien were really quite popular when on the fansub circuit so surely such a reputation would work in their favour when there is a potential licence deal in the pipeline?

This move, at least to me, seems a little short sighted, but like I said above- its Media Factory's decision and that should be respected.
 
I've never downloaded a fansub in my life, although I do have a few other people have done for me.
I was always under (maybe the wrong) impression that most Japanese anime companies tolerated fansubbing, knowing that the ultimate outcome was US and eventually UK releases of their programmes, which surely has got to be good for them?! I imagine anime copyrights cost quite a lot and surely this just doubles any revenue these companies can hope to make :?:
Maybe this particular company doesn't have many of their titles in the US/UK? and that's why they're miffed, anyone know? (I can honestly say I don't take any notice of who the anime company is, I go for authors of the original story or voice actors when choosing my anime :lol: ).
 
From what I've heard from reading in a few different places, the Japanese company objected to fansubs because Japanese anime fans have started using them- more specifically, a fansubbed OVA appeared one day before the official DVD release date and this angered the Japanese distributors.

I can't say I blame them for taking this action, but still, I stand by my original sentiments- fansubs are massively important to the continued growth of anime around the world and despite what the pessimists will have you believe, more profit is made from fansubs than losses.
 
I'm pretty sure this is down to two factors:

1) Japanese fans downloading the episodes (which of course directly affetcs their sales, which they need for stuff like OVAs to be popular).
2) The increased quality of distribution we've been seeing lately. If fansubs were easily noticably inferior to DVDs, eg. 50-70MB per episode, I can't see the companies arguing with them - they literally can only then be used as a preview to the series.
 
Paul said:
Today has seen some important news emerge from perhaps the largest anime fansub portal, AnimeSuki. Japan-based producer Media Factory Inc. have requested that AnimeSuki remove links to several of their anime series (which include the popular Gankutsuou and Kimi ga Nozomu Eien).

Typically, Japanese anime producers have turned a blind eye to fansubs (because strictly speaking, they are illegal)-
Click to expand...


ummmm... yeah...
First, animesuki rules, so i wont crack down on them for giving you such a faulty viewpoint... but where in hell did you get the information that fansubs are illegal. They are not an act of piracy in any way shape or form. Fansubbing involves taking an unliscenced show and subbing it so that people all over the world can watch it. Piracy, in regards to anime, is the act of stealing or ripping anime off a liscenced disc and uploading it for others to download (this includes people who do not wish to rip something themselves but still receive the finished product) or taking a liscenced anime and still uploading it. Naruto recently got liscenced by ShoPro, so still fansubbing it is illegal, i will allow, but if you are going to say that somebody who takes an anime off an unliscenced show in japan, subs it, and releases it on BT is pirating, you need to get an enima for ur clogged up brain. In conclusion, fansubbing is not piracy. The end, and thank you for your time.
 
Anonymous said:
Paul said:
Today has seen some important news emerge from perhaps the largest anime fansub portal, AnimeSuki. Japan-based producer Media Factory Inc. have requested that AnimeSuki remove links to several of their anime series (which include the popular Gankutsuou and Kimi ga Nozomu Eien).

Typically, Japanese anime producers have turned a blind eye to fansubs (because strictly speaking, they are illegal)-
Click to expand...


ummmm... yeah...
First, animesuki rules, so i wont crack down on them for giving you such a faulty viewpoint... but where in hell did you get the information that fansubs are illegal. They are not an act of piracy in any way shape or form. Fansubbing involves taking an unliscenced show and subbing it so that people all over the world can watch it. Piracy, in regards to anime, is the act of stealing or ripping anime off a liscenced disc and uploading it for others to download (this includes people who do not wish to rip something themselves but still receive the finished product) or taking a liscenced anime and still uploading it. Naruto recently got liscenced by ShoPro, so still fansubbing it is illegal, i will allow, but if you are going to say that somebody who takes an anime off an unliscenced show in japan, subs it, and releases it on BT is pirating, you need to get an enima for ur clogged up brain. In conclusion, fansubbing is not piracy. The end, and thank you for your time.
Click to expand...

Sorry to break it to you, but fansubbing is infringment of international copyright law, regardless of whether or not a show is licensed by a R1 company. By your logic, fansubbing only becomes illegal when a company like ShoPro stumps up for a US release, but what about the local releases in Japan? Don't forget; they can (and do) download fansubs too.

Unless the fansub groups have obtained prior permission from the Japanese companies involved, they are illegally distributing their anime. Obviously, there are many moral issues too, but in the cold, hard court of law, fansubbing is technically piracy; licensed or not.
 
'Guest', I suggest looking at this FAQ. In short, Japan's copyrighted works are protected both in this country and in the US regardless of whether they have been licenced.
 
i too agree like many others with the fact in truth fansubs are wrong an dillegal, but without it, many anime fans and non fans, wouldnt know many new great hits such as Naruto, Bleach, and dozens more. and because it was a hit on fansub many US/UK viewers know for a fact that they will purchase all of the dvd's merchendise, and so on.

i feel that, things should be kept the way they are.... without fansubs how will get a taste of what you are gona watch?

also 'if' fansubs are completely stopped.... are u gona just buy anime dvd's withought any thought or anything?... well this is my view.....
 
That was an amusing read :lol:

@Ninja Boy! What do you think fans did before widespread fansubs??!!
Previews on videos (which used to be a lot better than they are now!) and the very old anime mags which are now all obselete! Plus more often than not you'd buy what you could find, luckily we don't have to do that now, you're all spoiled rotten :lol: :wink:
 
true, even previews on some anime dvd's now, grab my attention, but it still doesn't have much more of an appeal now due to fansubs. and i personally would never go and buy wot i could find... thats just plain wasting money o_O , but hey, everyone has their own personal views, and i have nothing against yours....
 
Its very rare for me to actually know much about a show when I buy it. I buy based on review scores, cover art , maybe the animation studio and hype surrounding the show . I still havent regretted any of my purchases :) .
 
true, i also look at the things MangaMinX mentioned.....even one of the anime series i own were based on it....... cant remem which one, but hey, i dont regret a single anime purchase i have made....
 
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