FUNimation suing A.D. Vision, Sentai, Section23 and others

Joshawott

Joshawott

Monsieur Monster
AUKN Staff
Source.

On 4th November, FUNimation Entertainment have filed a lawsuit against John Ledford (CEO and co-founder of A.D. Vision), A.D. Vision, AEsir Holdings, Sxion 23 (Section23 Films), Valkyrie Media Partners, Seraphim Studios, Sentai Filmworks, Sentai Holdings, and Unio Mystica Holdings (Switchblade Pictures) for breach of contract and other claims. FUNimation claims the defendants owe them an estimated $8million, plus interest, costs and attorneys' fees.

The lawsuit stems from FUNimation becoming a creditor in regards to debt that ADV owed ARM Corporation; a third-party licensor owned by Sojitz.

On December 23, Sentai Filmworks, Seraphim Studios, Sentai Holdings, Valkyrie Media Partners, Unio Mysteica Holdings, AEsir Holdings, and Section23 Films filed a counterclaim disputing the charges.
 
Re: FUNimation suing A.D. Vision, Sentai, Section23 and othe

Joshawott said:
Source.

On 4th November, FUNimation Entertainment have filed a lawsuit against John Ledford (CEO and co-founder of A.D. Vision), A.D. Vision, AEsir Holdings, Sxion 23 (Section23 Films), Valkyrie Media Partners, Seraphim Studios, Sentai Filmworks, Sentai Holdings, and Unio Mystica Holdings (Switchblade Pictures) for breach of contract and other claims. FUNimation claims the defendants owe them an estimated $8million, plus interest, costs and attorneys' fees.

The lawsuit stems from FUNimation becoming a creditor in regards to debt that ADV owed ARM Corporation; a third-party licensor owned by Sojitz.

On December 23, Sentai Filmworks, Seraphim Studios, Sentai Holdings, Valkyrie Media Partners, Unio Mysteica Holdings, AEsir Holdings, and Section23 Films filed a counterclaim disputing the charges.
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So much for Funimation and Section 23 being friends then
 
Just realised Rui posted it in the general news thread...damn it, again?! xD

2012 - The year the western anime industry died?
 
Lawrence said:
Joshawott said:
Just realised Rui posted it in the general news thread...damn it, again?! xD

2012 - The year the western anime industry died?
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It's fine, just what Japan have been waiting for. Rememeber part of the reason Bandai shut its doors was that "Japan is willing to provide to those who will pay premium rates for premium quality." i.e. Fate/Zero.
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True enough, they try to force Japanese anime prices in western countries for years now, but it never worked and it never will. Their prices are just insane, I can't like an anime that much to spend 600€ for some BDs on them. Actually, I thought they might learn at some point that they have to change their business models, but the they act against all kinds of economic reason. I have never seen an industry that suicidal.
 
I f you can't make money off your customers, do so by preying on your rivals.

I don't know who's wrong or right here, and I don't care. I hope Sentai win the case though, as they are releasing the interesting stuff right now. Funimation already preyed on ADV's carcass once when they snagged all the licences after the Sojitz crap went down, only to re-release them in stripped out cheap-o form.

End of days!
 
I guess Funi are attempting to monopolise the western industry.

Conspirator (may have no relation to real life) mode: they already made a backdoor deal with bandai, but other companies are being more stubborn. So they busted the lawyers out.

Next target; crunchyroll. CR would pretty much die if funi can snatch the big 3 away from them.
 
It implies to me that Funimation's finances aren't in good shape, for them to suddenly go after this now, so I'm not inclined to jump on them with blame when it might well be a legitimate claim (I am no law expert). What Sentai originally did was definitely dubious, though they were also victims of the license mess which triggered things, and they may well have legally covered their backs safely. As a selfish fan rather than a lawyer in the US standing to profit from this, I want both to stay in business and release lots of anime, so this totally sucks.

Unfortunately nothing is going to happen until the end of this year, it seems, so we get to spend a year knowing that the two biggest companies hate one another.

It's bad news for the UK industry too, as between MB's news and Bandai's disappearance, these guys are the only major dubbing companies left who could be relied on (and Manga won't touch undubbed anime). If either or both run into problems, we'll definitely be affected down the line.

R
 
Aegelward said:
I guess Funi are attempting to monopolise the western industry.

Conspirator (may have no relation to real life) mode: they already made a backdoor deal with bandai, but other companies are being more stubborn. So they busted the lawyers out.

Next target; crunchyroll. CR would pretty much die if funi can snatch the big 3 away from them.
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Wouldn't they also have to get two of the big three from Viz? xD
 
The way that I read this makes Funimation out to be one of those scum sucking companies that buys up debts and then sends out the bailiffs to people who owed 15p to a bloke called Bob 20 years ago, and then just happen to pick up the phone on the wrong day, or reply to the wrong letter, and wind up facing legal costs running to £10000.
 
Rui said:
As a selfish fan rather than a lawyer in the US standing to profit from this, I want both to stay in business and release lots of anime, so this totally sucks.
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I almost want this, but the picture painted by Just Passing Through is too attractive given my base position of "**** Funi". They really are a horrible company.
 
ilmaestro said:
Rui said:
As a selfish fan rather than a lawyer in the US standing to profit from this, I want both to stay in business and release lots of anime, so this totally sucks.
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I almost want this, but the picture painted by Just Passing Through is too attractive given my base position of "**** Funi". They really are a horrible company.
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agreed the basterds didn't finish off a few titles i wanted there not as funi as they used to be .......... get it lol
 
ilmaestro said:
Rui said:
As a selfish fan rather than a lawyer in the US standing to profit from this, I want both to stay in business and release lots of anime, so this totally sucks.
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I almost want this, but the picture painted by Just Passing Through is too attractive given my base position of "**** Funi". They really are a horrible company.
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As apprently bad as they are, do you really want to contend with Zombie ADV? Because if this blows up in funi's face, we're going to be left with them and then once they die, it's £100/two episdoe releases for us for the rest of the ever.

And, frankly, Zombie ADV are in the wrong anyway. ******** Texas Tax Loophole be damned.
 
There is always NISA, they release really nice editions, as well as several releasing sub-only series...

But around here sub only seems an unpopular option, i guess as a sub fan i underestimated the popularity of dubs.

Being optimistic i'd say there is always potential for a new company to make an impact. So long as they don't get hit by any uncompetitive actions.
 
Aegelward said:
There is always NISA, they release really nice editions, as well as several releasing sub-only series...

But around here sub only seems an unpopular option, i guess as a sub fan i underestimated the popularity of dubs.

Being optimistic i'd say there is always potential for a new company to make an impact. So long as they don't get hit by any uncompetitive actions.
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There are next to no fan dubs, sub-only fans are in a large majority, but most are just pirates.
 
I always try out a dub and sub when I start a show and pick whichever I like best, that said, if there were no dubs I could tolerate subs for the shows I prefer dubs on, i could not tolerate dubs on the shows I prefer subs :p

My general rule is subs are always adequate at the very least, whereas a god dub is very much the exception rather than the rule.

Death Note, Paprika and the Evangelion movies are examples of good dubs in my book, also the latest Akira dub (the Johnny Yong Bosch - Kaneda, Jamieson Price - Colonel one). Ghost in the Shell (movies and series) also has a pretty good dub cast.
 
Reaper gI said:
Aegelward said:
There is always NISA, they release really nice editions, as well as several releasing sub-only series...

But around here sub only seems an unpopular option, i guess as a sub fan i underestimated the popularity of dubs.

Being optimistic i'd say there is always potential for a new company to make an impact. So long as they don't get hit by any uncompetitive actions.
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There are next to no fan dubs, sub-only fans are in a large majority, but most are just pirates.
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Well, fan-dubs are a lot more difficult make, than subs. However, I wouldn't be so sure that most of the anime pirates are sub lovers, most of them use it as an cheap excuse not to pay for anime and don't care about if its subbed or dubbed, in the end most people don't want to "read a movie", me included.
 
There are anime fans who buy DVDs and watch sub only, eschewing the dubs if available, not bothered if they aren't.

There are pirates that rip the English dub versions off DVDs and Blu-rays and put them online.

There are infinite permutations of anime fan in this world, and making generalisations that disparage one group with respect to another will probably offend someone.

That said, I think it's fair to say that most of the people who buy anime on home media do so because it is dubbed. While most of the people who watch anime online (legitimately too through authorised streaming portals) are happy to watch anime sub only.

There is a crossover in this Venn diagram of people who watch online and who but hardcopy home media. It's my opinion that the online streaming is slowly making more inroads into convincing purchasers to try sub-only discs.

But unless Funimation is suing nu-ADV for not dubbing some of the titles they licence, this is drifting off topic, and into the dull, tiresome, ever regurgitated dub vs sub debate.
 
I actually couldn't care less about the reading aspects. What gets me about alot of dubs is they're way too americanised in terms of accents, and the voices lose some of the depth/range in the Japanese equivalent. Not always, but often.

You don't need to understand a language to be able to pick out emotion if that makes sense, there are very few examples of a series I prefer in english, not to say there are none :)
 
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