The Pirate Anime FAQ Page - A MUST-READ!

Postby **DanekJovax** » Sat Sep 20, 2003 8:28 pm

I don't know where you all fall in the category of 'anime distribution', but I do hope that as Christians, we do our part to be lawful citizens, and abide by the laws that we live under.

And in our pursuits of anime acquisitioning, we should also be mindful to avoid products that have been made from sources that are less than honorable - ergo, Pirates and Bootleggers.

The following URL is a constantly-updated FAQ page geared to keep us otaku informed when considering what we are buying, to help us avoid buying products from Piraters and Bootleggers.

http://www.digital.anime.org.uk/piratefaq.html

Enjoy.

Postby **Ashley** » Sat Sep 20, 2003 8:37 pm

My one comment on it--and I'll let you guys make your own decisions--is that they mentioned Fx as an illegal DVD company. I recently bought a dvd set from http://www.animeniacs.com, and it was made by them. Now, why do I dispute this? Because it passed through American customs; if it were bootleg, there's no way it would have. The link I just posted has often been accused of piracy and such, and address it in their FAQs too. Not to say that there aren't illegal pirates out there, I'm just not sure about that one company based on my experience.

Postby **andyroo** » Sat Sep 20, 2003 8:41 pm

That's a pretty good web site. I got a few good stuff from their downloads section a while back. I had forgoten about their FAQ. It's a good read.

Postby **DanekJovax** » Sat Sep 20, 2003 9:59 pm

Ashley, you're talking about the fact that if a company is able to surpass US customs with an import product, then it's a legit one, right?

I'll check into this and come back with the info I find.

Ja matta. :2)

Postby **DanekJovax** » Sat Sep 20, 2003 10:01 pm

Oh, Ashley, I was just wondering, what was the anime title you purchased at that time?

Postby **Stephen** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 11:09 am

I have purchased both Trigun and Cowboy Bebop from Animeniacs....

Postby **Bobtheduck** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 7:41 pm

Um... I download fansubs all the time... If I like them and get the money, I plan on buying... But, for some I just tape them off TV (like Lain and Boogiepop) even though taping them off TV and cutting the commercials is also illegal... Copyright laws are so screwed up, I can't even sneeze legally...

Postby **Saint** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 9:52 pm

hmm... i wonder. that could be true... the way Animeniacs worded it was sketchy.
well i hope not now...

Postby **yog^sothoth** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 1:56 am

animeniacs is a place where people sell pirated dvd's. They take and rip the video ro get RAWS from someone in japan and then either fansub it or rip the subs from an american dvd or dvd with english subtitles (See PERFECT COLLECTION). This is how they have prices that are beyond low. With fansubbing, companies will allow groups to translate unlicensed shows from japan and fansub them for distribution, this is legal for the most part, but will request that they cease and desist when the show is slated to be released, or is licensed in America. I think that fansubbing is a very good thing as it generates interest in anime and allows companies to see what will sell.

Well, that's my take on things. Have fun!

Postby **DanekJovax** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 7:27 am

I've been following the information from the Pirate FAQ for the last 3 years, and I haven't (yet) found an instance where they are incorrect in their assessment of a particular source or bootleg company.

I was just at http://www.animeniacs.com, and saw they hold region 0 DVD sets. In general (read: in 99.9%), these type of DVDs *are* bootlegged, no matter HOW WELL PACKAGED they appear to be. I don't plan on buying from them, and probably will write them to tell them as much (despite the fact they'll probably never really listen to it - there's enough suckers willing to buy 'cheap' anime on DVD).

You'll never find a 'legitimate release' of *any* non regionalized DVD. Period. It's built into the international DVD standards that a region encoding must accompany any licensed release. Skirting this requirement is an obvious method for bootleggers to market their illegal goods to the largest potential market.

That's my 3 yen.

Postby **shooraijin** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 12:19 pm

> You'll never find a 'legitimate release' of *any* non regionalized DVD.

This isn't true; I've seen a number of documentaries that were legitimate, Region 0 releases (and even had PAL and NTSC video tracks to allow it to play darn near anywhere).

That said, the preponderance of Region 0 releases are likely rip-offs just for the same reason you said.

Postby **DanekJovax** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 1:31 pm

Ok, I'll rephrase my statement:

You'll ALMOST NEVER find a 'legitimate release' of *any* non-regionalized DVD.

I sit corrected in front of my keyboard. :2)

[sends a :2P to shooraijin]

Postby **yog^sothoth** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 3:51 pm

Here is another link to copyright law and anime fansubbing legal interpretations / idiots guide to copyright law and anime.

http://members.tripod.com/~AvatarHR/legalfaq.html

Postby **DanekJovax** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 7:48 pm

Nice link, 'o Lovecraftian one.

Only thing I noticed is that the page hasn't been updated in almost 4 years, so it's missing info on digisubs, though everything else in there is still quite useful for legal info.

Thanks!

Postby **Michael** » Wed Sep 24, 2003 5:26 pm

Animeniacs looks to good to be true. I want to get Trigun off there, but not if it's bootlegged.

Postby **DanekJovax** » Wed Sep 24, 2003 9:20 pm

That box set:

http://www.animeniacs.com/index.php?action=displayitem&item=DVD0242

Is a plain bootleg... Fx is a well-known bootlegger, and even their subs are crap... look at the second screenshot, with Milly and Vash. The typesetter should get a keyboard with a working spacebar. Even the DVD encoding flaws show through to the screenshot, with spectrum "smudge" and contrast artifacting all over the sub lettering... expected for DVDs with at least 8-9 eps crammed per disk.

Typical hack bootlegger job... I'd rather pay a fansub group to have their copies than to spend money on this junk.

Sorry if I seem a little riled... I just hate to see a good anime like Trigun hacked up by third-rate con artists and then sold for a quick double dollar.... keh!

Postby **otaku** » Sat Sep 27, 2003 11:39 am

i rent most of my anime and have bought five dvds and watch tv. but I am an avid fansub fan i have around 50 or more eps and 7 or so films i have gotten subbed i will eventually rent or buy these there is a code which states only unlicensed in america anime is to be downloaded this i follow if licensed i dont dl. not to mention alot of anime never makes it here.

bootlegs bad i dont buy and feel is wrong same for licensed anime in america. dont download music either!

Postby **DanekJovax** » Sat Sep 27, 2003 8:30 pm

Good for you, Otaku! (nice avatar too, BTW) :2)

The classic definition of a fansub is much as you describe: To only use as a means of spreading anime from overseas into the local regional market and as soon as said anime is licensed/released, cease all distribution.

Given the blurred lines that this generation of fansubs endures as opposed to 12-15 years ago (back when I was a 'frosh in college), it's harder to find many fansubs before they're already licensed, though at the same time 'digisubs' have made some of it a lot easier at the same time.

Despite the changes of today's technology and the more widespread acceptance and broader marketplace (in the US/Canada region), the classical definition should still be followed, if one desired to support the anime market in the US and Canada.

I don't even want to start mentioning what I have in my CD collection... let's just say it's a lot, and some of it keeps me real busy keeping track of licensing so I know what to share and what to restrict the sharing of. ;2)

Postby **Ashley** » Sat Sep 27, 2003 9:28 pm

In Animeniacs defense, I'll bring this up again. They pass through US Customs every single day on each shipment; businesses in the US have to have special permission to start. You don't just open up your own place or anything. That being said, the fact they have an actual storefront (in Colorado), I still believe they are legit. Call me naive, but that's my 2 cents on it. And personally, I'd ask everyone to tone it down here; it's starting to sound far too hostile than it should. Read the link, decide for yourself. That's all there is to it.

Postby **otaku** » Sat Sep 27, 2003 10:11 pm

[quote="DanekJovax"]Good for you, Otaku! (nice avatar too, BTW) :2)

thanks i like yours to its the old man from yawara right? thats currently being subbed seen up to ep 4 funny show.

Postby **Shinja** » Sat Sep 27, 2003 10:17 pm

dang and there i was thinking this was a FAQ for "pirate anime" :lol:

yargg im a pirate

Postby **DanekJovax** » Sun Sep 28, 2003 10:14 am

Yup, Jigoro-sensei is this avatar.

Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl is being re-fansubbed by Live-Evil, and they just released ep 12 yesterday. Great series.

Anyways, I agree with Ashley, in that we all must make our own decisions when purchasing our own products.

Personally, I just would rather avoid all pirated/bootleg products at all possible, and because of that have gained experience in identifying such products.

I pray I haven't been sounding hostile in here, except towards them pesky piraters and bootleggers! ;2P ;2)

Postby **otaku** » Sun Sep 28, 2003 2:42 pm

yeah i know the subs i have are live evil they did wolfs rain also i think thats there best i guess i do need to get more yawara...

Postby **DanekJovax** » Sun Sep 28, 2003 4:03 pm

Otaku, is it possible to add a couple punctuation marks in your typing? It'd make reading your posts a little easier. Doomo. ;2)

Postby **Shinja** » Sun Sep 28, 2003 4:30 pm

pucntuation si for winps you gotta think outside the box

im also indiferant to spelling

J/K

Postby **DanekJovax** » Sun Sep 28, 2003 9:45 pm

Shinja no b4k4! Beeee-ta! 82P

Postby **otaku** » Mon Sep 29, 2003 8:11 am

I get that alot. Yes I shall try to punctuate and such more often.

Postby **DanekJovax** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 6:30 am

Chris4150 {from another thread} wrote:Actually, I have no problems spotting a bootleg off the bat. What I was wanting to know is if the HK bootleg DVD's are considered the 'official' anime DVD's of Hong Kong, or do they have official companies that officially publish anime?

Well, it's usually a given that any Hong Kong anime DVD distribution company will have legal rights to distribute their wares in Hong Kong and the surrounding region, so yeah, I'd call them the 'official' anime DVDs of Hong Kong.

The rub is when these companies sell their products to other distributors who then in turn ship these DVDs (or whatever) out of the region and try hawking them in other countries outside the region-of-origin.

To dovetail with Ashley's last comment on US customs, I'm no expert on the specifics on what US Customs accepts or rejects, but I'm leaning on the hunch that USC doesn't look at everything coming into the US (even despite 9-11) and doesn't have the ability to track every instance of every type of product trying to come here and see if it's a legitimate product that's allowed to be sold here or not.

Not barring blatant illegal goods (W.o.M.D., slaves, illegal immigrants, drugs, weapons, etc.), everything else is basically given the OK unless it's "clear" to the customs inspectors that a particular item is not allowed, and that *at the time of the inspection*.

All of this is a guess, and I may be wrong on several points here. If anyone here in the CAA is a Customs person, please correct me.

Anyways, because items get past US Customs doesn't specifically mean that the product is "100% legal". If a distributor wants to make extra $$ selling a product in the US that was originally licensed to be sold in China/Taiwan, he/she will devise ways to make the product show up in the US - falsifying cargo manifests, making ambiguous descriptions, and even packaging items to be less noticeable to inspectors (more likely the second method).

Looking in the FAQ, a classic example of this is the Son May CDs from Taiwan. They're legit products to be sold *only* in Taiwan, but somehow boxes and boxes of these CDs make it to just about every import CD shop in the US and are sold at horrendously cutthroat prices compared to the domestic labels of the same music. Somehow these CDs got past Customs and made it to their recipients... so why can't it be with other products?

So to get back to your original question, Chris4150, its really boils down to the company that is distributing the poduct you're looking at, and what legal license they have to distribute the product in the area you're buying it at.

Now, direct purchasing from the distributor or producer/manufacturer of the product, regardless of where it's made, may still be legal, and override any distribution restrictions placed on said distributor (online purchasing makes this really widespread). If you *go to them*, that's ok... they just can't set up a shop outside their licensed distribution area to *go to you*.

Some research in US Customs and Import law may help shed light on this issue.

Postby **Bobtheduck** » Sat Oct 18, 2003 2:51 am

ok... I think copyright laws are severly flawed, but I'm taking down my rant... I'm gonna be a bit more carefull about what I post here...

First, Ban all the Trolls. . . · Postby **MillyFan** » Mon Nov 03, 2003 2:56 pm

This is a great link, again. I hope many more people visit it-and hey, if you're against piracy, why not put the link in your sig too? -^.^-

The Pirate Anime FAQ Page - A MUST-READ!

The Pirate Anime FAQ Page - A MUST-READ!

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