Manga Scanlation and Copyright Issues

(Insert obligatory lawyers are evil joke here).

About Jmanga. To say they are "reasonably priced" is a huge stretch, the way I see it. Sure, six dollars a volume is hardly an absurd amount. But that is the price I pay for an actual physical copy in any newspaper stand*

. Considering it is a digital volume and that I can't download it, it really seems like a bad deal to me.

edited 16th Feb '13 7:36:09 PM by Heatth

That's about half the Canadian price (but I import from the states and therefore pay their prices).

In any case, I agree on the price thing. If I'm not mistaken, that's also more than what the Japanese pay for a physical copy.

edited 16th Feb '13 7:32:59 PM by burnpsy

Ouch, to be pricier than the Japanese...

Just checked. The Japanese pay ~$4.50 USD for their volumes. Viz only charges $5 for its digital volumes. If Jmanga is charging $6 for digital copies of less popular series on a lesser-known service, on top of the issues stated above...

edited 16th Feb '13 7:34:18 PM by burnpsy

Some go as low as five dollars, but Jmanga doesn't sort by price. And I'm used to the US market where manga are spendy; anywhere from $10-20 depending on the publisher.

...Most physical manga in the US does not go above $12 (omnibuses excluded), and some publishers go as low as $8.

edited 16th Feb '13 8:43:01 PM by burnpsy

Did the lawyer mention copyright law isn't exactly the same in japan? It's why all those dojin artists don't get sued....

Yuri fanfiction writer! http://www.fanfiction.net/~shanejayell

The artists don't get sued because the rights holders don't wish to do so. The parts of the law that make those illegal are part of the international laws the lawyer mentioned in the article that demand certain minimum copyright protections.

edited 16th Feb '13 11:20:49 PM by burnpsy

Admittedly NOT a expert, but my understanding was Japanese copyright does not require the exteeme level of protection of the copyright that America does. Hence why they don't sue the assess off dojin makers.

Again, that doesn't apply to North American law anyway.

Yuri fanfiction writer! http://www.fanfiction.net/~shanejayell

The clauses that make it illegal are not the sweeping clauses we see over here, they are the basic clauses that make up the basis of copyright. Just an FYI.

It's as simple as "you used their copyrighted material without permission". None of the other clauses are necessary in this situation, except for the exceptions put in place for parodies and fair use (but I'm not sure if those are part of international law, and they wouldn't help most doujinshi).

edited 16th Feb '13 11:48:44 PM by burnpsy

No, it's all about US law. Actually, it's the kind of basic stuff that any law student would know. Which is only reasonable, since it's not written for experts. Reading it was a nice review, although I was hoping for some information on Japanese law.

Regarding the differences, as far as I can tell there's no difference in the statute itself (I've checked), but if there is it would probably come from the particular interpretation of Trademark law which can cause the owner to lose the rights to the trademark for "failing to police" obvious infringement.

I don't know what Japanese courts have done with it, or even if their courts have that kind of power.

The point is that the companies have the right to not care. Copyright infringement is not in itself illegal. If a police officer catches you on the street drawing pictures of Naruto you don't get arrested. It's a cause of action for civil liability, which basically means they can sue you. But they can also not sue you. There are... other laws in place allowing for criminal charges to be placed, but those come after the civil suit.

edited 17th Feb '13 12:25:27 AM by Clarste

...I'm fairly sure my point is that they choose not to pursue. I simply chose to word my posts like that to make my sentences shorter.

edited 17th Feb '13 12:38:02 AM by burnpsy

Hmm, I think I skimmed over your post and misunderstood your position. As it is, you can take it as me agreeing with you.

OK then.

And you bring up an interesting point with trademarks. If I was better at Japanese, I'd try looking that up.

Five US dollars is still within the price range I can find my physical mangas. Btw, hell, your mangas are insanely overpriced.

Anyway, I can't speak for everyone, but, for me, buying at Jmanga doesn't seem like a good deal. I suspect it is the same of many people around the world as well.

edited 18th Feb '13 5:42:29 PM by Heatth

plus there's some stuff that can get someone 10 to 20 in ultramax if they order it from an importer (e.g., chris handley case)

then theres the censoring that some pirates protest. I'm subscribed to Alpha so i'm covered on the big three wherever i get it.

i do record anime off the tv since store dvds are a small fortune.

"I will strike down all that threaten my clan!"