First and foremost I want to say that I read online scanlations myself and I'm very thankful to the groups that're working on it. But I'm well aware that this is an illegal thing to do and I won't ever try to justify scanlation as something needed or as advertisement. But many people seem to have forgotten that fact. With this post I want to remind you, that you can't "legalise" scanlation in any way.
Just a few minutes before I started to write this post, i've found this --> *click me*
Surley the most of you already know about this. Hence big manga-hosting websites like Mangahelpers or OneManga removed their online reading and hosting services. But the interessting point about this are the user's comments below that article I linked above.
The most of them are trying to argue why the actions of the publisher's alliance are all wrong and it's not totally a bad thing to scanlate manga.
But all of them, who're arguing like this, juts don't see (or just've forgotten) that scanlating is nonthing less than plagiarism.
They're bringing on every kind of arguments and thus try to "legalise" Scanlation du to this.
Well, i have to admit most of these arguments are very good, but even those got their weak points.
Okay, let's take a closer look at those said comments/arguments.
Well, sadly I have to admit, that there are really isn't enough out there. That goes not only for the U.S. but for south/latin-america and europe as well. But that still isn't any sort of reason for downloading a manga illegaly from the i-net. Only because your favourite series isn't available in your region doesn't mean you got the right to "steal" it via i-net. The creators are trying to distribute their work as far as possible. So they have to deal with foreign publishers and that's not always an easy thing to do. Those negotations take time because there's a huge amount of money on the line for both sides. And because this is a matter of money, scanlations aren't very helpful at those negotations. If you want your favourite series to be published in your region, just be patient and continue to support your local publisher by buying their volumes.
"This is an outrage! People don't read online manga to avoid purchase, it's because there isn't enough out there. There are so many amazing fabrications that hasn't even been heard of by manga readers who don't read online. If Japan made those amazing manga available, most of us would have no problem purchasing it. I'd be in the story every paycheck buying manga. I'm a big yuri fan and when I go into the manga section of a store, I see everything BUT that. This is certainly a mistake, and Japan is going to continue to lose more customers."
Besides that Japan won't lose customers. By this time manga alreday is a very popular medium in Europe and America. And european and american publichers are watching the market in Japan closely. But, like i said, it takes time to negotate with japanese publishers and mangakas.
""sales of manga in the U.S. have declined more than 30% from a high of $210 million in 2007 to $140 million in sales in 2009" Financial crisis during those times, anyone? Scanlations has increased the popularity of many manga out there that are otherwise unheard of if it never got scanlated. So if they're trying to eradicate scanlations altogether, the Japanese publishers (and the mangaka) will lose some of its profit. [...] Also, many fans actually buy the manga AFTER they read the scanlation. So scanlations actually do help their sales as well."Yes, there was a financial crisis at that time and many companies and publishers are still suffering because of it. But I think scanlation isn't helping matters. The publishers are in Queer Street anyway. And most people are reading online scanlations because it's the most pleasent and cheapest way. Why bother to go to the bookstore afterwards if i can get the whole series online and for free? Well, a few real manga-fans would go to the book store but not all manga-readers are manga-fans, you know.
To say it clear: People read online scanlations because they're for free and not to test out new series or chapters.
Variety is not the only issue. American publishers will tweak the content to make it "appropriate" and to "appeal" to an American reader. [...]I will NOT buy any content that has been altered by the American publisher just because it MAY contain content that could be seen as "offensive" to an American reader.[...]"I agree. Some european publishers are doing the same. Everytime I see those strongly altered Chapters it pains me to hell. But still that's not a reason for me to get my fix by the i-net. If it annoys me how publishers have altered the original I'd send my points of criticism the publisher's way and try to mobilise other fans of this series to do the same.
"Are they really sure of their decision that it would be for the best of both sides? All I can say that."This is not about a negotation. The publishers want to destroy scanlation completely. In their point of view the scanlators are the enemies. And since scanlating is plagiarism the scanlators don't have any claims or rights.
"I stopped buying manga about 2-3yrs ago, until I found an online site where I found manga I liked, so I started reading there. I found a bunch of manga online that I liked, but couldn't find it in stores. But I would find some things online that I could buy in stores, but I can't afford the whole series, so I would read the whole series on line the buy what I could afford. All I'm saying is that no one is going to buy manga that they don't know what it's already about. It would be a waste of money and just much easier to just not buy manga all together. [...] it takes months/years for a new release (who in their right mind is gonna wait that long for something? the volumes aren't that long to begin with, so if there are huge gaps of time between releases your gonna get customers who just go "Forget this, this is taking to long and the series is already like 50 chapters behind Japan, there's no point.""Only because you can't afford the series doesn't give you any rights to get it online for free. That's exactly the same thing as stealing. Let me put it like this: If you can't afford the car you want, you can't drive with it; if you can't afford your favorite food, you can't eat it; if you can't afford your favorite Manga, you can't read it. That's how market economy works, no more no less.
If you don't know a manga that's available in your region, just go to your local bookstore and read a few chapters of the first Volume. Naturally every bookstore will give you permission to do so. If you don't like it, put it back in the shelf. If you like it, buy it. It's as simple as that.
As for the long wait for releases outside of Japan: You only have the feeling to wait that long because of the Scanlations. Actually scanlations shouldn't exist at all because scanlating is plagiarism and thus illegal. If you wouldn't know what's currently going on in the japanese Version of a series (or wouldn't know about whole series), you wouldn't wait for it so impatiently. Therefore you can say the reason for the long waits are the scanlations and yourself who's reading it.
"And in fact, scanlations boost the popularity of the mangaka."Yes, that's certainly right. Scanlations in fact boost the mangaka's popularity but only if he's credited properly. Unfortunatelly most scanlation groups are indifferent to things like this.
Besides that mangakas are depending on the publisher's financial success. So I don't think many mangakas are happy about that boost.
Scanlations is and was hurting the industry already. That's the reason why this alliance of publishers took this step. Unless you're a commercial expert you aren't able to predict the outcome. On the other hand publishers very well have those commercial experts. Because of their advice the publishers have acted like this.
"As a fan of anime and manga I could go at length to explain why this action is going to end up hurting the industry more than help it."
"That will just hurt sales more, since there will be a decrease in advertisement since no one will spread it by word!"Of course you can spread it by word. Post a summary at some forums with a manga/anime topic, start a discussion about it and recommend it to others.
Scanlation aren't to be declared as advertisement. Advertisements are meant to be spoilers for the actual product. But a scanlation is a rip-off of that product. And beyond this if publishers would consider scanlations as advertisment they wouldn't take steps against it.
Okay, up to here for now.
Like I said introductory I read scanlations myself and I'm glad for having them. But scanlating is an illegal thing. Please don't forget that fact. It doesn't matter how you're justifying it, it remains a crime and you can't legalise it or consider it advertisement. So the actions of the publishers are easily comprehensible.
If you don't think so, you just don't have the patience to wait until the official release is published in your region because you've started to read online scanlations and/or you can't afforf to buy it.
Remember this before arguing for the necessity of scanlations the next time.
Best regards,
Al~
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