You missed a part when I said this. "Although the way my question was phrased seemed to be that way, (which is a mistake on my part) it's just a system that in imo is really inconsistent, unnecessary, and inefficient. You might disagree with me on that, but that's just how I see it. "

I already addressed it. I only wanted to see what people opinions are about scan groups. A question alone does not mean I advocate that we should stop scan groups. It's just a way to gather people opinions, and people seem to love them despite problems.

It seems you don't get a lot of sentiments expressed to you here, especially about scanlations being by fans for fans, likely because you're still new to the things I and a lot here are not. So I'm not fond of commenting here again because of that, but I'm following up on your answers to my Qs.

Mangaka and publishers' copyright mean they have control ("the right") on how the property is distributed ("copied"). This kind of business means they can sue anyone who redistributes their property illegally ("without their approval") precisely because it's a direct offense/sabotage to the business they are trying to grow.

Understand that if there is no lawful regulation, mangakas would not have their jobs, they wouldn't feel safe, not without some guarantee their work has some protection. By doing business with a publisher, they get that power. And so every kind of "legal" promotion of their work is by definition something that was incited by the publisher themselves.


So no, if that text translation is allowing people to consume their property NOT the way the publisher intended, it literally isn't legal. They intend for the property to be consumed in Japanese. Licensed English printed/digital books would be the legal form of English consumption.

The only thing scanlation and fandom have protecting them from being sued, is that it could be argued the publishers INTENDED to create mania, passion for the property, which results in "sharing" with friends and, ie. thanks to the internet, everyone who can FIND their fan sites and blogs. Translations and scanlations need to be free to fall under that category. If you're paying, it makes it a business. I'll get to why illegal businesses are bad later on.

This is where I say you're wrong to think your friend wouldn't have their work stolen just for switching to text. There have been people who stole from mangahelpers, and if the world liked your idea and translations were bigger than scanlation, your friend would be in the same place, just as upset. Translations seem safer from thieves to you because they aren't as popular a platform as scanlation. Scanlation seems "easy to steal" from but it's because "popularity attracts more thieves". Don't get that confused.

I don't know what you've personally experienced to form your opinion since you don't say, but the fact that scanlation is more popular than translation isn't surprising to me or the people before me, because, as we understand from our experience, text translations are harder/more troublesome to read. If I had to put it into words, text allows confusion when each bubble starts and when it ends. I've read plenty of text translations, and that was usually what annoyed me the most. One badly spaced line and the chapter wouldn't make sense later. It's hard to tell what causes it before it's too late and your experience ruined. I'd rather wait than have my first read completely ruined by a tiny mistake in a formatted text. In a general sense, scanlation has an advantage because of its visual cues.

Take what you will of this. You claim you are looking for opinions, or wondering why people might think differently from you, though your replies tell me you're trying to promote your own idea more, but that's perfectly fine here anyway. Nonetheless I think I've answered what you claim your question is the most I can as one person.

Oh if I'm giving my full opinions, I think the idea that commissioning scanlation groups as the answers to inactive series is short sighted. A percent of that money you are paying for translations deserves to go to the mangaka first of all, and second, paid commissions on unawared people's comics piss me off. Commissions for Doujinshi, aka self published manga, are understandable because their business is small and probably can't afford international licensing, but even so, any form of economic disrespect for the creator who's work you're consuming is DISGUSTING. Making a business that leeches on their business without their say in it is disrespect to the point of violating human rights. Let them run their own goddamn business. If you think doujin has potential to be popular overseas, tell them about it and encourage them to consider bigger horizons. Hell if someone went to a doujin artist and offered to translate their doujin to English, they could very well consider printing it and shipping that stuff overseas themselves. THEY COULD EDIT THE TEXT OF THEIR OWN COMIC. This is how it should be, but the world is more complicated than that. Child pornography is illegal in my country for example. But let's not get into hentai politics.

Scanlation isn't better by a lot, but the fact that it's free and not something people pay to get, make it that much better than blatantly illegal commissions, with all the reasons I have and haven't named in this post. Regulation is delicate but SO necessary for people to rightfully earn what they deserve. The internet might be changing the landscape of regulation itself, but businesses and society can adapt in harmony, and your idea and opinion lack a certain consideration to some of that.

Just my opinion. The end.

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I wish our profiles had a description section.

i won't respond to your entire post because it is really long,

"This is where I say you're wrong to think your friend wouldn't have their work stolen just for switching to text. There have been people who stole from mangahelpers, and if the world liked your idea and translations were bigger than scanlation, your friend would be in the same place, just as upset. Translations seem safer from thieves to you because they aren't as popular a platform as scanlation. Scanlation seems "easy to steal" from but it's because "popularity attracts more thieves". Don't get that confused. "

I did not say the work would not be stolen, of course it would be. I was saying the translator would be less likely to be upset if the work was stolen as written translation rather than a full on scanalation, because written text takes a lot less work. And I am not new to things either. The truth is you could either choose to do scans or written texts, and I personally don't understand why more people don't just choose to do written scans.

"So no, if that text translation is allowing people to consume their property NOT the way the publisher intended, it literally isn't legal. They intend for the property to be consumed in Japanese. Licensed English printed/digital books would be the legal form of English consumption. "

You may have a point there, but I would still argue that scans are probably MUCH more illegal technically then written translations are.