This is an organised pro-fansubbing argument designed to provide some effective solutions for the future. An open mind is required, as well as the ability to accept and bring about massive changes in media marketing.

First off, I would like to point out that my ponderings are centered on the Anime industry, though they are still more or less applicable to all forms of fansubbing/”piracy”.

I am currently a massive anime fan, timewise I must have spent at least 3 of the last 6 years watching/reading the stuff. Whilst I do not buy the DVD boxsets (through fear of bankruptcy and dubbing) I DO buy the original manga comic books when they become available in my area.

I’m not trying to argue that I support the author this way so my piracy is fine (right?), because that sort of argument is weak and cannot lead to a solution. (Like I said people, stay open minded if you wanna read this, I ain’t gonna listen to critiscism from guys that only filtered out the bits they wanted to hate)

But now understand this, I seriously doubt I would even know about the existence of Anime and manga if one of my friends hadn’t come round my house and watched a “pirated” episode on the internet. What does this mean? That the author/producer/Copyright Holders lost more potential sales to another “pirate”? Or did they gain the sales of the mangas I buy that I wouldn’t otherwise have known about? Tell me, what have they lost, really, by having their product made known WORLDWIDE. Now here is a little lesson in physcology, okay? When you see something you REALLY like, you WANT to own a physical, material representation of that something. FACT. (AGAIN, no b#tch babbling here ok? This next part is what I want you to consider [SERIOUSLY consider])

Media marketing… Has changed. *puff*

In the last decade, over 40% of the world population has gained a regular internet connection, and with the modernisation of China and India along with many 3rd world countries, that percentage will naturally increase very rapidly making the internet the ultimate international marketplace. *hacking cough*

Now answer me this, anti-fansubber copyright holders, authors and producers, why aren’t you exploiting that market?

‘Yeah but we are! We’re putting DVD ads on it and everything!’

Shutup. You have in front of you the largest distribution network ever imagined, and yet you’re getting p#issed off at US, because WE are using that network to get YOUR products.

Another question, how does the television industry work? Afterall, anyone with a TV and an antenna can watch it, so how do you make a profit? Come on now, you should know this one, surely! It’s only how you’ve been making a living for the past, oh I don’t know, 60 YEARS!!!!

Now then, have you put 2 and 2 together yet? Thats right. If you were to put your show on the internet, with some ads in it, you would be earning cash exactly the same way you are now (just like TV, look at that!). Oh, except for one small thing. Your show (and its precious advertising slots) wouldn’t be shown just to a region, a state or even a country, but the entire world, at the same time. I think that also gives you the right to make those ad slots a bit more expensive, no?

And guess what, if you were to create your OWN subbing team, who would of course sub the ads as well and not remove them, then not only would the fansubbers/”pirates” goal be acheived, but you’d also now be making considerable money from what is under current laws, the biggest black market ever.

And there we have it, it’s all up to you, the anti-fansubbers. If you have such a big problem with this, get off your fat corporate asses and exploit what we’re doing, instead of keeping up these futile efforts of trying to condemn it. Because that is another fact; you can’t stop us. It’s far too easy for us, and far too difficult for you. Oh, that and we’re not going to stop either. We don’t care who posted what we’re watching, but we WILL keep on watching it.

So now it’s your turn. Why don’t YOU show ME the future? I’ll be watching…

To all that have read this post, know that this is a supported movement across the globe, gradually building. Please show your support for this Media revolution by posting your version of this argument in forums, blogs etc. wherever you see the topic of this conflict. Together, let’s work for an advantageous future for all.

Thanks for reading,

AnimeAddict, Streetyboy, Violent_Diplomate.

please help

regards
lotlyAxorry

My girlfriend needs subtitles on movies and several movies in my collection of more than 300 Blu-ray movies are without any subtiles.

So I rip the movie, add subtitles. burn a copy and keep the original.

Btw. I do the same for movies that have a shitload of commercials, trailers etc. and disables half the options to skip them (YES!! I AM LOOKING AT YOU DISNEY)

I got involved in the FS community and have continued to buy the series that I enjoy in the years that passed, first on LD, VHS, then DVD and now BluRay. I have at least 250+ entire series on DVD not counting LD *lol i know* and VHS *also lol*.

Do I spend more than I should?, yes. Do I begrudge the unreasonable high prices I pay?, somewhat. Would I drop $100.00+USD on a series I had not sat down and watched through at least once?

Give us a legitimate way to see the anime we love, and we will pay.

You may respond: Crunchyroll. I say that is a QUALITY operation all the way…and will be dead in 6 months based on internal rumblings that have been heard.

Example.

Stargate is released an entire YEAR early in the UK….an entire year….so I just download the entire season….

1st – Hulu does not make all television shows available. What I can watch on Hulu I do.

I don’t think pirating is really hurting that much though. I just recently got into LOST. Some people recommended it, and I downloaded the 1 and 2nd season. By that time ABC had put all seasons on their website and I watched the third season there. Since then, I’ve bought the box sets of all of the available seasons. Something I would have never gotten into, I went and spent money to purchase because of pirating.

Pirating is no different then sharing your DVDs with your friends. It’s like a big global word of mouth. Are there people who will never purchase anything and just always borrow?- yes, but since these companies would never make money off these people anyway; to say they are losing money because of this practice is disingenuous. In fact this person may still be helping the cause just by recommending a film to a friend who will watch it and buy it.

The fact is people who purchase CDs and DVDs do not want to do so blindly anymore. Not when we are in the era of googling and wikiing everything. Times are changing and the industry has to change with the times.

I often watch a series to completion thanks to work of fansubbers. When, and if, it becomes available as a commercial release, I then buy it.

If it was a series I didn’t like, I never watched more than a few episodes anyhow. Oddly enough, I am watching Shikabane Hime on Hulu right now, they are up to episode 20. My review of the subbing on that one, they need to study from the fansubbers, their timing is just awful on Shikabane Hime. Good series, mediocre subbing.