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Do you consider scanlations legal?
Topic Started: Oct 7 2007, 11:41 AM (238 Views)
Marasai
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Rikku!

Do you think that manga scans or scanlations are legal?
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Jura
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High School Student
Look up whatever copyright laws you have in your country. The US has the Fair Use law(s), but that doesn't make it black and white.
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simplyatbliss
...still my guitar gently weeps.
Probably not, but most anime/manga fans aren't exactly the ones to go to when it comes to looking for legal advice.
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Ging
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FIGHT THE FUTURE AND f**k THE PAST
simplyatbliss
Oct 9 2007, 10:31 AM
Probably not, but most anime/manga fans aren't exactly the ones to go to when it comes to looking for legal advice.

Agreed xD but I am fairly certain it is illeagal...but there are always way around laws like that.
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+ AngelKing
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† Die College Finals, Die †

Some places post scanlations, while others remove them or stop their projects when the manga becomes licensed. So I'm not entire sure.
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simplyatbliss
...still my guitar gently weeps.
It's still illegal. It's just that some companies (I assume) don't care as much while others have no knowledge of a website's existence. Japanese companies are probably less likely to go after English translation groups considering they're not marketing towards English speaking people.
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Dark_Plague
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Der Freischütz
It's not about consideration, it's pretty black and white.

Scanlations are illegal if the manga series has been licensed by a company.

Scanlations are legal if the series remain unlicensed.

Either way, most people (myself included) don't care either way. Such is the way of the internet.
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simplyatbliss
...still my guitar gently weeps.
Dark_Plague
Dec 6 2007, 08:21 PM
Scanlations are legal if the series remain unlicensed.

Wrong. It's still illegal. There are international laws as well. Same thing goes with fansubs. It's illegal even if the anime will never get licensed.
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Dark_Plague
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Der Freischütz
Quote:
 
Wrong. It's still illegal. There are international laws as well. Same thing goes with fansubs. It's illegal even if the anime will never get licensed.


Let me rephrase that. It's illegal, but nobody cares. Nobody prosecutes anyone, and likely never will.

As can be said for a lot of things on the net these days, but oh well.
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simplyatbliss
...still my guitar gently weeps.
I think the companies care, but they're scared to take action. Thing is that if they would ever sue an anime/manga fan, it would create a lot of tension between the company and anime/manga fans in general. I mean, the U.S. anime and manga fanbase isn't that large. It has a fair share of fans, but the only reason why manga and anime even sell are those that are so devoted that they'd buy the dvds and books.
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Syarith
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Open Up My Eager Eyes

Let me answer your question with another question, Marasai.




Who cares?.... as long as the viewers enjoy reading manga, they should be happy that there are actual scanlations out there to read.


Now for my input on whether its "legal" or not. I say its legal only if the people that made the actual thing and scanned it and put it on their website for all readers, like, Shonen Jump scanlations, for example, are legal. Others aren't. So all in all, it depends on what kind of scanlations you're talking about. If its licensed manga thats in a manga magazine sort of thing like Shonen Jump and its on their site, since its their content in their magazine, it's legal for them to put it on their site. Any other site however, I'd imagine it's illegal.

I can't believe I just used Shonen Jump as an example
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cornflakes
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Second Class, Limited
So far, though, I haven't seen any scanlations/anime downloads getting removed, with the exception of Death Note.

I'm curious. Why do they not care when these fan scanlations are losing them so much revenue? Personally, I wouldn't spend my dough on manga (I'm just not a 'serious' otaku, I guess), but I know a lot of manga-reading friends that just may.
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simplyatbliss
...still my guitar gently weeps.
Syarith
Dec 6 2007, 10:44 PM
Who cares?.... as long as the viewers enjoy reading manga, they should be happy that there are actual scanlations out there to read.

Uh, the people that actually make a living from making and distributing manga
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Chalchihuitlicue
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new vogue child
I don't consider them legal for one reason: they're not.

The actual author/authoress of the manga is not getting paid at all by the people doing scanlations and posting them free on the internet. Therefore, just like fansubs, it's stealing from the original creator.

Yes, artists are happy to get their work out there.

But when it comes down to fewer people knowing about your work and having food on the table, or having a ton of people know your art and stories and going hungry or without heat, usually one would go with the former.
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Shiro Ookami
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Resident Lovable Pet
I'm taking the same stance as with fansubbing. As long as they are not brought out/announced/licenced I see no problem in them being translated into English by amateurs. How ever if they do, the scanlators (or however you'd call them) should remove the downloads/links/whatever to those manga's. I do find it somewhat different then for example stealing a skin/drawing and so on. The scanlations have an added value to them by profiding people who can't read Japanese with a way to follow that particular Manga while stealing a drawing to pose it off as your own is just plain wrong.
Also I don't think the companies who licenses a manga will lose much profits from it, I can't imagine anyone who prefers to read from a computer screen instead off from paper, the people who thought the manga was good on a scanlation will probably buy the manga when/if it becomes licensed, and if it's not licenced then they won't make much money off it from the international market.

And yes I've downloaded Manga's before but I despise reading from my computer screen and normally only do so with fanfiction so the few that I'm following I will collect in due time even if it takes me 5 years or more.
The only 2 manga's I have on my computer are one not brought out outside Japan (neither has the animes and the games) and one I use for research purposes for my writing (collecting the manga anyway though but haven't got that much volumes yet)

So in short are they legal? No
Should scanlations be allowed? Yes for some of the reason stated above

Edit: saw the quote after I finished posting

Quote:
 
So far, though, I haven't seen any scanlations/anime downloads getting removed, with the exception of Death Note.


There are actually quite a few manga's that can't be found on the sites I have visited in the past, For instance Ai Yori Aoshi and Onegai Twins
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Feris
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Light of a Goddess
There's one thing that you are all missing. And I think I pointed this out as well. Scanlations are actually just amateurly done. So pretty much, the translations will differ a lot. They get the gist of the translation, but most of the time (Like what I do for both anime/manga) I go and BUY the Manga or Anime if I think it's worth it.
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cornflakes
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Second Class, Limited
Shiro Ookami
Dec 27 2007, 07:17 PM
Also I don't think the companies who licenses a manga will lose much profits from it, I can't imagine anyone who prefers to read from a computer screen instead off from paper

I would :XD:, though I suppose I'm in the minority.

Evangeline
 
There's one thing that you are all missing. And I think I pointed this out as well. Scanlations are actually just amateurly done. So pretty much, the translations will differ a lot. They get the gist of the translation, but most of the time (Like what I do for both anime/manga) I go and BUY the Manga or Anime if I think it's worth it.

I disagree. I can't speak for all scanlations, but in scanlations with significant followings like Naruto, Bleach or Death Note, I find that the difference in quality of the translation is negligible-- in fact, I actually prefer the scanlated version because they don't bastardise the names like 'Yagami Raito' to 'Light Yagami', or 'Uzumaki Naruto' to 'Naruto Uzumaki'.
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Feris
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Light of a Goddess
cornflakes
Dec 28 2007, 01:03 AM
Shiro Ookami
Dec 27 2007, 07:17 PM
Also I don't think the companies who licenses a manga will lose much profits from it, I can't imagine anyone who prefers to read from a computer screen instead off from paper

I would :XD:, though I suppose I'm in the minority.

Evangeline
 
There's one thing that you are all missing. And I think I pointed this out as well. Scanlations are actually just amateurly done. So pretty much, the translations will differ a lot. They get the gist of the translation, but most of the time (Like what I do for both anime/manga) I go and BUY the Manga or Anime if I think it's worth it.

I disagree. I can't speak for all scanlations, but in scanlations with significant followings like Naruto, Bleach or Death Note, I find that the difference in quality of the translation is negligible-- in fact, I actually prefer the scanlated version because they don't bastardise the names like 'Yagami Raito' to 'Light Yagami', or 'Uzumaki Naruto' to 'Naruto Uzumaki'.

I know. But usually you buy the manga if you have read the scanlations on it. That's what most of us do at least.
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VoidHawk
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Second Class, Limited
Oh My...


Now...scanlations are illegal if the law say they are.

About the blaring on International Law, it only works if a given country actually recognizes it, so if the US or any other do not transport the law into its legal body, it is nothing but a bunch of high and mighty words. Anyone did take a look into the US law regarding this specifically about scanlations of not licensed material. By what I recall they are illegal if the scan is from a licensed material, otherwise the law just dont care, and you cant say it is illegal without a specific word about it being so.

I may be wrong there and the US absorbed/recognizes the Internatinal Law about it, but it would be good to check anyway.

If there is no reference to any Intl. regulation, there you have. It is not illegal. Take care, principles and real law are not the same, for those against scanlations.

Actually most companies even like the scanlations going out, as they can see the possible profit on those if they go licensed.

About quality, sorry but yes, the quality is good on many cases. As it is the case with animes. Some fansubbers/translators do a real quality job, and I know, I download a ton. (note, in Brazil if it is not licensed it is not covered by law, and anime industry here is below kid grade)

And the botton line is, lets be true: We will download if the quality is good and we are able to.

As for myself, I consider myself a True Otaku, and I will always buy my manga if I can. But some titles are not out for sale, even with licensed material like Vandread and Cannon God Exaxxion, and if I find those scans I will download. Vandread issue one I already have :D

Again if they charged something like 1 dolar or such for scans, they would still make huge revenues and would bring the readers that are downloadong for free if the quality was good. Guaranteed quality and download. That would be smart.


But that is another discussion.

If someone look into the law regarding this we would know for sure the US stand about this. In know my country's stand though. I know I am not doing any illegal tjhing.

And do not fast judge that my country's law is at fault. I have the feeling the US law has no words regarding recognizing any Intl. Law about the matter...there is a lot of interests going on there, and costs with market research cut by a simple unlicensed scan thrown in the net.

With the law, there is not grey areas: It is the white of the paper and the black of the ink. Material and electronic. And I think that is true in both of our countries.
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Jeimuzu
Spring of Drowned Girl
There's nothing really else to add. Everyone's stated most opinions I've on the whole illegal or legal scanlation thing. To be honest, I could really care less if it's illegal. That's the internet, lulz. I try to buy most of my manga, but either way. :/
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