Illegal Downloading, this is a very controversial subject. I would like to know what you at BU think about downloading Music and Movies. Is it okay? Do you think it's justified? Should you serve years in prison? These are only a few of the many questions people ask about this. I also would like to know how you think on the different methods of obtaining infringing material.

For me it's definitely wrong, but it's of a lower priority of a crime than the more serious offences. It'll be viritually impossible to enforce downloading of copyrighted stuff (as well as any other laws tbh) so people need to adapt to the times a bit. I know it's definitely wrong but it won't stop me from doing it.

piracy ftw...

Well, I think downloading media is okay. All files are just bits arranged in a certain order. You can't own 0s and 1s, On or Off. It's the same as me reading a line from a book to a friend, or even letting a friend borrow the book! It's all just silly to me.

Zinnkid - if you really thought it was all ok and just 'bits', then why would you head the post 'illegal downloading'? On nearly all the anime and manga forums I've visited I see one of these posts, usually created by someone either trying to make themselves feel better, or just for trolling.
The titles on BU fall into 2 or 3 categories:

1. Fully legal. I'm including this just in case there might be one or two titles which are fully 'public domain' such as promotional material or free Omakes. There aren't many of these.

2. Grey area. This probably contains the majority of stuff on BU. It's titles which haven't been licensed outside Japan/Korea and haven't been professionally translated. This is the world of scanlations. It's technically illegal, but publishers tend to turn a blind eye to it because it is also a useful promotional tool to generate sales when the official translation becomes available, and also to allow them to judge whether a title will do well in the US/world or not. It's pretty much in the same category as fansubs of anime.

3. Illegal. This is the licensed stuff already published in the US/rest of the world. These are usually just scans of the english version and are completely illegal.

Whatever you may think about it personally, that's pretty much the legal standpoint of it, so it's generally pointless to debate it. If it bothers you, stop downloading and stick to official publications. As far as the category 2 stuff mentioned above, I don't think any legal process has gone further than a C&D letter so far, but for case 3, then things are clear-cut - it's piracy and copyright infringement and you're going against the local boys. This is why the distributors of type 3 stuff don't tend to have websites or ways to get in touch with them - they know the score.

Quote from babel

Zinnkid - if you really thought it was all ok and just 'bits', then why would you head the post 'illegal downloading'?

Well, I don't think it should be illegal. But I titled the post cause it is. 😀
And it doesn't bother me

Quote from Sakuya

sounds similar to what we had before about scanlating or something

Yes http://www.mangaupdates.com/showtopic.php?tid=1078
But this is about Music, Movies and downloading methods, not Manga in specific

Goto go, going to the pool! Yay!

sounds similar to what we had before about scanlating or something

| One Punch Man | Noblesse | Nanatsu no Taizai | Gun x Clover |

Well why can't we focus on putting away petafiles and murderers first. I think those are more important than dowlnloading illegal content.

My personal opinion:

Downloading: Not Illegal
Uploading: Illegal (if copyrighted)

As far as laws are concerned I don't think a one time affender should be thrown in jail but maybe community service or something. Maybe after being caught a second or third time jail time should be considered. But it really depends on the offense. I mean one mp3 upload shouldn't get you in prison but uploading hundreds of movies the day after they come out in theatres is another story.

I have to be a little bit meaner to the movie stealers because i am in that business. But i believe if you can watch it on TV for free then why can't you upload it at that point. It was already free at that point.

Save a Starving Artist - Feed them Ramen

Right... there are copyright laws... but remember the law of "fair use" in the United States? It protects against just that. If you're doing it minimally... and you're not making a profit, then you're justified in doing it (but only because it would otherwise not be available to you).

Now, for mp3s for singers of the respective country you live in, you probably shouldn't download nor upload. People did pay money for the copyrights so that they could y'know, make money. So, the only people who are really against this is the RIAA. And, it's kinda a huge corp, so they have sway in our legal system.

In the future, if the RIAA were ever to be abolished (which I think would be a good thing), then music artists would make money thru concerts... and spread their music as much as possible thru the internet to advertise.

But, as of right now, it's still illegal, and so, until we change the law for the changing times, we can get punished. Although, I think some of the punishments go too far. What are you going to do? Put them in jail for such a small crime so they eat up more of the country's taxes? Boo.

Onto anime and manga. I think that scanlating groups and fansubbing groups are totally justified in what they're doing. Their translation is an art. Some do it better than others... so in its own right, I think it's creative output. In addition! We're expanding the manga community by doing this! How could US companies that license anime and manga not like this? Without it, they'd have the brunt of the work of trying to convince everyone this is the new big thing. They wouldn't nearly have such a large fanbase. But, this goes against the Japanese licensing companies, so, the uploaders there who also have the intent of spreading it worldwide kinda get shafted.

I think, likewise, uploaders with our licensed translations might have the intent of just giving other countries a thing to translate from... but that's a pretty weak argument. =/ I think that you commit a huge offense if you scan a manga that's already been translated.

-Max

if someone decides to actually FORCE the law of no downloading manga, than im doomed! israel is NOT particularly manga-friendly, and there's no manga section in the closest store to your house... 😐

the best security guard, EVER.

I think it is justified. Why? Because it doesn't hurt the companies when people download their music (Check out their earnings, and notice how much more they have been selling since "piracy" started to take off in the mainstream). They should just suck it up (The money they get from "pirates" advertising, that is).

*back from pool, it was fun!

Quote from DeLtA_IjK

Right... there are copyright laws... but remember the law of "fair use" in the United States? It protects against just that. If you're doing it minimally... and you're not making a profit, then you're justified in doing it

Ah yes, Fair Use and Parady, I think it's funny on what you can get away with using those. The thing is, you just have to convince 12 people that it is protected by fair use or parady and your ok. You see it all the time in music, literacy, and movies. Bringing the phrase "They changed it just enough"

Anyways, I agree with Conquestor. See, the RIAA calculate how much money they lose every year by how much traffic on p2p networks. They don't calculate how much they gain by publicity p2p has gived them or if everyone who downloaded would by anyways.

It is justified (at least for me)

I buy what I can, I support what I see to be the most deserving, and I download the okay stuff that'd otherwise never get around to buying anyway. No loss for anyone other than a gain in utility for me.

Anything on TV is justified to download, why can't the internet be my TiVo/VCR?

[img]http://myanimelist.net/createimage/SirGir.png[/img]

Maybe... Because if you download anime 'from japan' with 'sub' it does count as illegal there but might not be illegal in USA or anywhere else.. I'm not so sure lol, but some licensed things just a bit too expensive T_T i can't help myself but being illegal XD

R-18 below
[img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/32718267/aot.jpg[/img]
Detective Horror Series

Tracker BakaBT

Quote from chueisha

Maybe... Because if you download anime 'from japan' with 'sub' it does count as illegal there but might not be illegal in USA or anywhere else.. I'm not so sure lol, but some licensed things just a bit too expensive T_T i can't help myself but being illegal XD

Downloading anime is illegal if it is licensed in you country.