"Legalised" Scanlations

Hey there again~

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.

"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."

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.
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.
 

"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."

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.

"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~

Watermarks, a really tiresome issue

Hey there,

this time I want to talk about the usage and the purpose of Watermarks.
Recently I'm noticing watermarks nearly everywhere, be it on scans or be it on raws. And everytime I see them I'm asking myself  "Who gave those teams/providers the right to stamp other peoples work with their own watermarks!?"
Scanlation-Teams who commonly put Watermarks on their scans now would say "because we've put effort in it and don't want anybody to alter it".
RAW-Providers who commonly put watermarks on their raws would say "because we've bought the magazines and took the risk to distribute them in the internet".

As for the Scanlation-Teams
Yes I agree with you. It's hard to clean and it takes a lot of time to get a HQ-Scan ready. But your amount of work is nothing in comparison with the one of the author and his assistents. It only takes you at most 10 (at least 4 to 5) hours to get a 17-20 HQ Scans ready. But the author's team needs a whole week to accomplish a single chapter.
But still you're putting watermarks on your scans marking it as your own's.
Definiton of watermark: People generally put a watermark on a picture to acknowledge the creator and because they don't want the images to be altered or used without permission.
Now you'd say: "There you are! That's exactly the reason why we do so." But you slightly got something wrong there.You're putting your watermarks AFTER you've altered the pages. So you're a not the ones who acknowledge the creator through watermarks but the ones who alter and use his work without permission.
But don't misunderstand this as well. Scanlating means plagiarism and thereby it's illegal. So you got no right to use watermarks in the first place.

As for the RAW-Providers
Yes I agree. It's expensive to spend about 5$ (or 500¥)  every week for each magazine. And sure, it's risky to scan them for distributing via i-net. But don't forget, only buying the magazine is a far cry from having the right to distribute it  in any way. And it doesn't matter how risky it is. A crime, how risky it may be, remains a crime. Above that it's either your intellectual property nor you'r holding the licenses of it. So you got no right to watermark the pages with your own emblem or url or whatever.


To say it clear: Watermarks are answering the purpose to protect the author's wish for not altering or using his work without permission.
That means if you're not the creator, then you've no right to use watermarks on your scans or raws.
If Teams or RAW-Providers put watermarks on their scans/raws, then it's only for one purpose: Glory, Courtesy and Webfame. And all three of them should be solely assigned to the creator and his assistents.
If you still want to watermark your scans/raws so badly, don't use a mark wich benefits yourselves but the creator or/and publisher.


Concluding I want to show you a statement of a RAW-Provider I've read on his website:

Also, all my raws will henceforth be watermarked from here on out. Since nobody seems to want to hear me out as far as my policy on rehosting goes, they’ve ruined it for everybody!
You want to complain? Talk to Raw-Bunko. They’re the new Raw Paradise who’ve been stealing my work.

In response of something like that i'd say:

Do you mean only "Raw-Bunko" by saying "nobody seems to want to hear me out"?
I'm asking because it appears that you only searched for a reason for watermarking your raws and now you finally found one. (correct me if i'm wrong but please don't lie to us)
Besides that it seems that you're happy about ruining it for all the others who've respected your policy or how's that smiley over there to be interpreted? It feels like you're mocking the ones who always respected your policy. If you want respect show respect towards others first.

Beyond that i don't think they were stealing "your" work. It's not your work in the first place. Buying the magazine is a far cry from having the right to distribute the chapters via i-net. So they didn't steal "your" work but the work of the mangaka wich you've distributed illegaly before.

That's how it goes, folks.
Best regards,
Al~

As for the respect...

Well, this ist my yery first blog-post here and i want to talk about a thing that already weighs heavily on my mind for a long time.

Okay, theres one thing i want to straigthen out beforehand. I don't want to insult anybody with this post. I acknowledge the Team mentioned below as a Scalnation-Team with very skilled members. I only want to state my point of view and i've tried to keep it as objective as possible. Well then, let's start.

Many of you manga-readers probably know about a Website called MangaStream.com. There you can find some of the most popular manga series (among others the big three One Piece, Bleach and Naruto), translated in english and released way before the official magazine-release in Japan (approximately 5 days prior).
I don't need to say that this is not legal.


But it seems that the leaders of MS (MangaStream) are not aware about that (or they're well aware but simply ignoring it). So they're dropping slogans like "The way it's ment to be read" and prohibit others (mostly internatinol Scanlators) from using (or rehosting) their Scans for their own release in their own language on their own website. Additional to that  they're putting watermarks on every of their scanlated pages. Their main argument for doing so is respect. On the one hand they want respect for themselves and on the other hand they want the readers to show respect towards the autors and publishers. Sounds good, right? But every coin has it's other side. Let's take a look at the FAQs of MS.


There they say:

1. Why are there so few chapters of each series online?

• We have a very limited selection of series, and we have also limited the amount of chapters for each series to four. It's connected to our philosophy of scanlations.

2. What is your philosophy of scanlations?

• Our scanlations are just meant to be spoilers. You read the scanlations to stay up to date with what's happening in the series you enjoy. We want you to support the distributors when they release it in your language, so we won't undermine their efforts by hosting what they are trying to sell.

Philosophy of Scanlations!? Meant to be Spoilers!? Won't undermine their efforts by hosting what they are trying to sell!?  WTF!!!?

1. It doesen't matter how limited the selection of series and the amount of chapters is. It's already illegal to host only one page of a chapter. Besides that they don't limit the selection of their series. ATM they have 12 projects running. This really doesn't look like limitation. They're just doing what they want, if they only got enough staffies.
2. How can a complete chapter called a "Spoiler"!? They deliver full chapters every week, an everybody can easily save the pages on their harddrive via drag & drop. How's that supporting the distributors!?
   Ah wait, they said, they want the readers to support the distributers. Ah yes, that changes everything ....don't make me laugh!!

Okay, let's move on to the next point:

 3. Why can't I download manga from your website?

• After a lot of thought, we unanimously decided that it went against our principles to provide an easy way for fans to archive our scanlations. You don't need to have it on your hard drive, buy it if you want a copy that you can enjoy over and over again.

Yeah sure, against your principles, of course. Tell me why you share an easy accessibel DDL link at a Website called Mangashare for all of your releases then? There everyone can DL the chapters for free. And like i said before everyone who knows the meaning of drag & drop is able to DL the chapters direcly from MS.
To cut a long story: They only try to make us believe that they're respecting the distributors with that. But in fact they don't. Respecting them means not to publish their work on a website.

Nah, enough of that, next one:

4. Why don't you want international releases of your work?

• There are just so many reasons, but mostly we don't want anyone to alter our scanlations in any possible way. You have the same chances as we do to get a copy of the magazine, scan it, get someone to translate it, edit the images and fill in the bubbles. Too much work? Your problem.

Erm no, there's only one reason: They want all the fame for themselves. MS is a group with international Members. And they're releasing in english, an easy accessible language that nearly everybody can get. So they want to attract as many readers as possible. They won't lose anything if they share their scans with others. Manga-fans will read their version first anyway because they're the first to publish. But instead of sharing they watermark their scans. In case that some international group uses their scans, everyone will see immediately where it's coming from. Another prove that MS is only after the Webfame.
And as for the alteration of their scans through int. Scanlators... do you think the authors and license-holders are happy about you're altering their work?

Well, let's do a cut here and sum it up:

1. They think they showing respect towards the distributers in doing like they do.
If you want to show respect, dont scan and release their work in the Internet. Just a reminder: Scanlating has nothing to do with respect to beginn with. It's nothing less than plagiarism.

2. They don't want international Scanlator to use their scans and try to prohibit them from doing so with their policy and watermarks.
If you don't want others to use your Scans, dont release it to the public. You don't hold the licenses of the series, so you don't owe a single page or word of it. Regardless how many efforts you put in it. Therefore no watermark or policy can prevent others from using your scans and i'm sure you're well aware of that (that's the reason you came up with that policy and the watermarks, after all).

Dear MangaStream, you think you are the best because of your early releases and your HQ-Scans. Well, your scans are really belonging to the best in the whole scene but yet you're the worst Scanlation-Team ever. Because you release that early while talking about respect the whole time. You don't know a thing about respect, so please stop teaching others about it.
Think your so called "Philosophy of Scanlations" over and stop putting watermarks on your scans. Release on the same day the official magazine is published in Japan. Only by doing so you'll really be the best Scanlation-Team.

And if you want genuine respect --> go to school, to university or get a job and achieve something!

So far, so good,
Best regards,
Al~