Keep It or Delete It?: Pushmo (3DS eShop)
Keep It or Delete It?: Quasar Quinn: Escape from Zargnon (Android)
Keep It or Delete It?: Mutant Mudds (3DS eShop)
Final Cut: Hetalia: World Series (Season 3) (DVD)
Keep It or Delete It?: Paper Monsters (iPad)
VIZ Media, Tokyopop and Yen Press have joined a coalition including Japan’s Digital Comic Association, Vertical, Inc., Tuttle-Mori Agency and Square Enix (they publish manga in Japan) in forming an international organization to combat manga piracy on the internet. While many manga are only published in Japanese, there are various groups on the internet dedicated to scanning these works into a digital format, translating them into various languages and then distributing them. The process, widely known as “scanlation” is the manga version of “fansubbing.”
Personally, I don’t believe in distributing scanlations or fansubs of titles that have been licensed where you live because you have legitimate access to the titles. However, scanlation of manga that are not licensed outside of Japan, while still illegal, are a bit more of a gray area as they are works that are otherwise inaccessible to many people. And, like fansubs, they can sometimes drive people to purchase a series that they would not have otherwise heard of. Unfortunately, many of the “scanlation aggregators” still engage in the distribution of materials that are licensed outside of Japan, and as a result the coalition seeks “legal remedies to this intellectual property theft against those sites that fail to voluntarily cease their illegal appropriation of this material.”
“It is unfortunate that this action has become necessary,” said a spokesperson for the group. “However, to protect the intellectual property rights of our creators and the overall health of our industry, we are left with no other alternative but to take aggressive action. It is our sincere hope that offending sites will take it upon themselves to immediately cease their activities. Where this is not the case, however, we will seek injunctive relief and statutory damages. We will also report offending sites to federal authorities, including the anti-piracy units of the Justice Department, local law enforcement agencies and FBI.”
The press release did not mention any sites or people by name, but did state that they have identified thirty different websites that they will be targeting with legal action if they do not comply. Currently there is no timetable for the advancement of legal action.
VIZ’s full press release can be seen below:
MULTI-NATIONAL MANGA ANTI-PIRACY COALITION FORMED
San Francisco, CA, June 8, 2010 – Today a coalition of Japanese and U.S. publishers announced a coordinated effort to combat a rampant and growing problem of internet piracy plaguing the manga industry. “Scanlation,” as this form of piracy has come to be known, refers to the unauthorized digital scanning and translation of manga material that is subsequently posted to the internet without the consent of copyright holders or their licensees. According to the coalition, the problem has reached a point where “scanlation aggregator” sites now host thousands of pirated titles, earning ad revenue and/or membership dues at creators’ expense while simultaneously undermining foreign licensing opportunities and unlawfully cannibalizing legitimate sales. Worse still, this pirated material is already making its way to smartphones and other wireless devices, like the iPhone and iPad, through apps that exist solely to link to and republish the content of scanlation sites.
Participants in the coalition include the 36 members of Japan’s Digital Comic Association, Square Enix, VIZ Media, TOKYOPOP, Vertical, Inc., the Tuttle-Mori Agency and Yen Press. Working together, the membership of the coalition will actively seek legal remedies to this intellectual property theft against those sites that fail to voluntarily cease their illegal appropriation of this material.
“It is unfortunate that this action has become necessary,” said a spokesperson for the group. “However, to protect the intellectual property rights of our creators and the overall health of our industry, we are left with no other alternative but to take aggressive action. It is our sincere hope that offending sites will take it upon themselves to immediately cease their activities. Where this is not the case, however, we will seek injunctive relief and statutory damages. We will also report offending sites to federal authorities, including the anti-piracy units of the Justice Department, local law enforcement agencies and FBI.”
The coalition stated that it has currently identified thirty sites targeted for action.
Participant members of the Digital Comic Association include: Akane Shinsha, Akita Shoten, ASCII Media Works, East Press, Ichijinsha, Enterbrain, Okura Shuppan, Ohzora Shuppan, Gakken, Kadokawa Shoten, Gentosha Comics, Kodansha, Jitsugyo No Nihonsha, Shueisha, Junet, Shogakukan, Shogakukan Shueisha Production, Shodensha, Shonen Gahosha, Shinshokan, Shinchosa, Take Shobo, Tatsumi Shuppan, Tokuma Shoten, Nihon Bungeisha, Hakusensha, Fujimi Shobo, Fusosha, Futabasha, France Shoin, Bunkasha, Houbunsha, Magazine House, Media Factory, Leed sha, Libre Shuppan
Greg Barbe on 08 Jun 2010 at 3:52 pm #
So you’re saying I got a few sites bookmarked that may just 404 in few weeks.
I do agree with you on the licensed vs. unlicensed idea. You would think they would realize that the existence of scanlation means there is a market opprotunity to sell High Quality Official copies. Let’s face it a scanlation is rarely a substitute for a professional translators services.
I’ve seen some truly hilarious engrish translations as well as some that were so botched that even looking at the scene could not put the dialogue into any coherent context.
[Reply]
bryanime on 08 Jun 2010 at 8:25 pm #
Maybe they should just try to make money off of Scanlations, kinda like what Funimation does with Fansubs.
I’m disappointed they didn’t release the names of the people their getting. Might do some good to make an example out of people.
[Reply]
Dan Furnas on 08 Jun 2010 at 10:38 pm #
I’m sure the names will come out soon, but more than likely they are still within the period that the sites can respond to a cease and desist letter. If they are forced to start a court battle, I’m sure the names will come out then.
[Reply]
MangaFox Re-adds VIZ Manga Scans | G.A.M.E.S. on 27 Oct 2010 at 10:05 am #
[...] they removed a wide variety of licensed series from their site in response to the formation of an anti-piracy coalition that includes VIZ, Tokyopop and Square Enix among others. According to the administrators at the [...]