Japanese-English Coalition Against Manga Sites

[Netto Azure]

Not for another week it hasnt. OM is closing in a week. GO OUT AND READ WHILE YOU CAN! We still have Manga Fox for now too.

Yes, but it's Bai-bai either way.

 

[Harmonie]

I wonder what their "ideas" that they want to try out are?

 

[revelp8]

The whole reason i started to buy the mangas was because i read them online. though the amount of manga i read doesn't equal to how much i have, some of the mangas are pricey to pay up, do you know how much it is to own an entire series such as the big three? hardly anyone has that much amount in cash to own 50+ volumes of one series. much less own more series :T

its a damn shame, but what can you do. Take one site down and many other appears, this is exact same thing that happened to napster and every other related site.

 

[Ryoutarou]

Not many series are actually 50+ volumes to begin with, I can only think of a handful in the last couple of years that have reached that mark. This is targeting those that aren't of the Shounen Jump demographic, the small time publishing companies that can barely survive in Japan, the ones where a typical manga series won't run more than 6 volumes and 13 would be a milestone. The licensing deals they have with American publishers can often be a lifeline for them because it's very hard to stay afloat at the moment, even in Japan.

 

[Alakazam17]

This is just another money making scheme for the capitalist regime we're all forced to be a part of. >_<

I was shocked when I heard this today. I'm surprised they haven't went after the libraries, because frankly, that's all these online manga sites are: the virtual equivalent of a library.

People are just so obsessed with making money these days, it makes me sick to my stomach. At least I can see a ray of hope out there when I look at the younger generation, all wanting to get their music, books, TV, and now manga online for free. Give it a few more decades, and we'll be the ones in power. ^_^

 

[Harmonie]

This is just another money making scheme for the capitalist regime we're all forced to be a part of. >_<

Seriously? Paying for manga (a product) is a "money making scheme for the capitalist regime"? Any economy where people can't (professionally) make products/do services and get money back for them is not an economy I want to be a part of.

I'm so sorry that this "capitalist regime" wants to make you pay for products.

There's a huge difference between a library and online distribution. Library's rely on physical copies that they have to pay for. Scanlators? Well one buys them, but it is distributed far beyond what is legal and right.

Give it a few more decades, and we'll be the ones in power. ^_^

That would be terrible, but fortunately unlikely. Too bad you still have people like me who value this economy and the way it works.

 

[Ryoutarou]

If everything were free, the quality of work would drop, simple as that. People who produce most of the music, art, TV shows, and video games you like do so because they get paid. Yes, there's some sense of fulfillment out of it, so they can easily give it their all, but don't be ignorant to the facts. Unless these people were well off enough to the point where they don't have to work and thus can spend all the time they want on their craft, you wouldn't see a fraction of what you like.

 

[Alakazam17]

I'm so sorry that this "capitalist regime" wants to make you pay for products.

Somehow I don't think you are, unfortunately.

There's a huge difference between a library and online distribution.

No, there really isn't. Both allow you to read material without paying for it, and are socialist in principle.

But I don't think this is the place to speak of politics, so that's the last I'll say on the subject. I'll just be sad to see these popular sites go down the drain. Though as someone else mentioned earlier, it won't be long before we see another such site make an appearance. ^_^

 

[GFA]

This is just another money making scheme for the capitalist regime we're all forced to be a part of. >_<

I was shocked when I heard this today. I'm surprised they haven't went after the libraries, because frankly, that's all these online manga sites are: the virtual equivalent of a library.

People are just so obsessed with making money these days, it makes me sick to my stomach. At least I can see a ray of hope out there when I look at the younger generation, all wanting to get their music, books, TV, and now manga online for free. Give it a few more decades, and we'll be the ones in power. ^_^

Your kidding right? They work their freaking asses off only to have people steal it (effectively). Libraries are fine, they bought the manga legitimately. Your nuts. People should rewarded for their efforts, not stolen from. A sick, sick, SICK person you are. I hate capitalism, it ruins countries, but this isnt capitalism. Its doing whats right.

 

[donavannj]

Somehow I don't think you are, unfortunately.

No, there really isn't. Both allow you to read material without paying for it, and are socialist in principle.

People need to make a living. Anime and manga would only exist in Japan if someone didn't see a huge earnings potential in it overseas some time ago.

And, like a couple others have said since this post of yours, libraries either pay for the copies of the books or depend on benefactors donating to their collections.

Though I think there's a better method for them to keep making money AND have people be less outraged... they could sell individual chapters or whole volumes in e-book form. They could even cut out the costs for shipping the materials. Though there would still be the matter of hosting, maintaining, and running the servers where the material would be downloaded from.

 

[Alice]

Libraries are fine, they bought the manga legitimately.

So did the person who bought the manga, and put the scans online.

And really, once you've bought a product, you can do whatever the heck you want with it. Sharing a book with people online is no different than donating it to a library. In fact, it's just a more efficient version of a library.
It's no different than saying... if you buy a TV, you're the only one that's allowed to use it, and we'll take it away if you share it with anyone. They have no right to decide what you can and can't do with the product once you've purchased it.

 

[Taemin]

I'm actually glad to hear this, and then again not so much.

I'm glad that it will probably boost manga sales, since a good number of people will have no choice but to buy the manga, and support the companies. I've been worried for some years now that the companies that publish manga in the USA and other countries outside of Japan, were going to die off one by one, just because people weren't buying them as much anymore. "Why buy them when you could read them online?" Sooo many think that way, and yeah there are those who are big enough fans to read them online, and then go buy them too, but that's not as common.

Then again, it's a shame because online is the only way that we can get certain series. So I think the popularity of certain series will suffer if this is stopped.

There's no way to totally stop it though.. > > BlackAbyss, who's well know for translating Pandora Hearts just lets people download the chapters directly from their private blog now, since the chapters are being removed from OneManga, MangaFox, etc..

While this might help sales to an extent, the people who really want to read their series online will still find ways. :/

 

[digi-kun]

People should rewarded for their efforts, not stolen from.

To be fair, mangakas get paid by the page, not by how much people buy manga, though it is still (technically under the assumption of imaginary sales and the broken window fallacy) stealing.

I'm for and against the subscription manga reading thing. In one sense, it's a (legal) way to read manga. In addition, there's the chance that good small-name mangaka/circles will be able to upload their stuff [though i HIGHLY HIGHLY doubt it]. My main against comes from the high probability that only the big name* manga will show up, leaving the lesser-known manga to suffer. I guess there's also the fear that it won't be up to date due to the english companies, but that doesn't seem too likely....or at least I HOPE they stay up to date.

I guess there's also fear of manga companies going down, so getting a backup copy (see Broccoli Books, i still want my Kara no Kyoukai novel officially translated :/), but that's generally a minor concern of mine.

Also, for the record, scanlating probably means the scanner actually bought two copies (one to scan, one to actually keep). Good scanning actually requires undoing of the binding or (clean) ripping off of the pages in order to get the full page scanned.

*[Big name refers to anything in Shonen Sunday, Shonen Jump, and Shonen Magazine and that's it]

 

[GFA]

So did the person who bought the manga, and put the scans online.

And really, once you've bought a product, you can do whatever the heck you want with it. Sharing a book with people online is no different than donating it to a library. In fact, it's just a more efficient version of a library.
It's no different than saying... if you buy a TV, you're the only one that's allowed to use it, and we'll take it away if you share it with anyone. They have no right to decide what you can and can't do with the product once you've purchased it.

No. You cant. Libraries, for whatever reason, are legal. Scanning isnt. The manga are liscensed and sites like OM take money away from authors. If anything, Libraries boost sales. Their manga collections arent that extensive. Sure, a chapter or two of Deathnote (for example), whats that going to do? Make you go out and buy Deathnote because it peaked your interest. If all of Deathnote is online, what's the motive to buy it? I love manga, and even when OM was open, I still bought Tankoban. Now that it's closed, I'll just buy more so I can finish my collection(s).

 

[digi-kun]

No. You cant. Libraries, for whatever reason, are legal. Scanning isnt. The manga are liscensed and sites like OM take money away from authors. If anything, Libraries boost sales. Their manga collections arent that extensive. Sure, a chapter or two of Deathnote (for example), whats that going to do? Make you go out and buy Deathnote because it peaked your interest. If all of Deathnote is online, what's the motive to buy it? I love manga, and even when OM was open, I still bought Tankoban. Now that it's closed, I'll just buy more so I can finish my collection(s).

Um, if you can read it all in the bookstore or library, what's the motive to buy it? I know I do that for all the long-lasting series (besides Hayate). Honestly, half the manga I've bought is because I've already read it online: HayaCon, Future Diary, Black Cat, Buso Renkin, heck, Pokemon Adventures I would have never even TOUCHED if I hadn't read it online.

 

[GFA]

Um, if you can read it all in the bookstore or library, what's the motive to buy it? I know I do that for all the long-lasting series (besides Hayate). Honestly, half the manga I've bought is because I've already read it online: HayaCon, Future Diary, Black Cat, Buso Renkin, heck, Pokemon Adventures I would have never even TOUCHED if I hadn't read it online.

Fool. The point is you cant read it all in the Library (mostly), and you'd be kicked out of the bookstore. And if you read a whole book in the store, our being a jack ass and not supporting hard work.

 

[Alakazam17]

No. You cant. Libraries, for whatever reason, are legal. Scanning isnt. The manga are liscensed and sites like OM take money away from authors. If anything, Libraries boost sales. Their manga collections arent that extensive. Sure, a chapter or two of Deathnote (for example), whats that going to do? Make you go out and buy Deathnote because it peaked your interest. If all of Deathnote is online, what's the motive to buy it? I love manga, and even when OM was open, I still bought Tankoban. Now that it's closed, I'll just buy more so I can finish my collection(s).

Fool. The point is you cant read it all in the Library (mostly), and you'd be kicked out of the bookstore. And if you read a whole book in the store, our being a jack ass and not supporting hard work.

The only reason libraries are legal and scanning isn't is because long ago people accepted that libraries were a good idea. However, there are still a good amount of people who are against libraries(with the interesting exception of several anti-socialist politicians, but that's another story). But we tend not to think much of it because, hey, libraries have been around forever. XD

Compared to libraries, the Internet is still in its infancy. Give it a few more years, or perhaps decades, and people will accept that scanning is a good idea too.

I know you think I'm a "sick, sick, SICK person" for being like this, as you mentioned on the last page, and quite frankly, I don't care, and the feeling's mutual anyway. If all a manga writer wants is money, let him or her have it. It decreases the quality of their work, and I don't want any part in it. I've seen this time and again, in a wide range of disciplines.

 

[Netto Azure]

Fool. The point is you cant read it all in the Library (mostly), and you'd be kicked out of the bookstore. And if you read a whole book in the store, our being a jack ass and not supporting hard work.

Whoah. I do that everytime in various Borders, and Barnes & Nobles bookstores and never got kicked out. Seriously, as Alakazam pointed out earlier it's a virtual library in essence. Heck I was able to read the entire Fruits Basket series in a Single library and I never got fined for doing so. >______>

Well, this just goes back to politics, etc. I'll just settle with the power of Google and leave the debates here.

 

[GFA]

The only reason libraries are legal and scanning isn't is because long ago people accepted that libraries were a good idea. However, there are still a good amount of people who are against libraries(with the interesting exception of several anti-socialist politicians, but that's another story). But we tend not to think much of it because, hey, libraries have been around forever. XD

Compared to libraries, the Internet is still in its infancy. Give it a few more years, or perhaps decades, and people will accept that scanning is a good idea too.

I know you think I'm a "sick, sick, SICK person" for being like this, as you mentioned on the last page, and quite frankly, I don't care. If all a manga writer wants is money, let him or her have it. It decreases the quality of their work, and I don't want any part in it. I've seen this time and again, in a wide range of disciplines.

Uhhh ... Sure, whatever. I havent seen any decrease in quality. The people do it for fun, or at least a large amount of them do. You dont do Art if you dont have fun doing it, and Manga is art. And if money didnt exist, great they could do it soley from their heats. As it is, they cant, so pay the for their hard work.

Whoah. I do that everytime in various Borders, and Barnes & Nobles bookstores and never got kicked out. Seriously, as Alakazam pointed out earlier it's a virtual library in essence. Heck I was able to read the entire Fruits Basket series in a Single library and I never got fined for doing so. >______>

Well, this just goes back to politics, etc. I'll just settle with the power of Google and leave the debates here.

Then you, have a very good library. And yes, lets leave politics as out of this as possible. Though, you really shouldnt read in a bookstore other than a few pages to decide what you want to buy.

 

[Alice]

No. You cant. Libraries, for whatever reason, are legal. Scanning isnt. The manga are liscensed and sites like OM take money away from authors. If anything, Libraries boost sales. Their manga collections arent that extensive. Sure, a chapter or two of Deathnote (for example), whats that going to do? Make you go out and buy Deathnote because it peaked your interest. If all of Deathnote is online, what's the motive to buy it? I love manga, and even when OM was open, I still bought Tankoban. Now that it's closed, I'll just buy more so I can finish my collection(s).

I'd like you to show me which law states that sharing information over the internet is illegal, even though the exact same act is legal in paper form. Sharing your manga, or anything for that matter, is up to you, once you've paid for it. For them to limit your freedom in such a way is illegal imo. Honestly though, it's just because the government is full of old farts that barely know what the internet is, so most of the laws are out dated/ poorly written anyway.

Uhhh ... Sure, whatever. I havent seen any decrease in quality. The people do it for fun, or at least a large amount of them do. You dont do Art if you dont have fun doing it, and Manga is art. And if money didnt exist, great they could do it soley from their heats. As it is, they cant, so pay the for their hard work.

They aren't getting any more from this as far as I'm aware, because as someone else said, they are paid by the page, not the number of sales. So, basically they're forcing us to give the publishers money, who didn't do a thing to make the manga. (And if they only did it for money, then they don't do it because it's fun. That's the point.)