Hi,

i want to know if its legal to offer original mangas in chinese and japanese language (downloaded from chinese or japanese websites) for onlinereading? Does it matter if they are licensed in english?

Greetings

No it's not, but no one's stopping you.

so what could be the worst case scenario if i had a big site with hundreds of chinese/japanese mangas?

the chinese/japanese publishers wont care?

Worst case is probably you getting sued...

But it's more likely you'll get a D&D letter...I think

[img]http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa229/azrinirza/makotoshinkai1_zpse3901c5a.gif[/img]
Everyday I'm tumblin'

Quote from Scyfon

But it's more likely you'll get a D&D letter...I think

Er...I think it's a "C & D" letter, for "Cease & Desist"...not quite sure what a D & D letter would be, but I'm sure people will come up with some possibilities. 🤣

Yeah, I think the first step would be a C & D letter, & if you quit then, you're probably ok.

"[English] not only borrows words from other languages; it has on occasion chased other languages down dark alley-ways, clubbed them unconscious and rifled their pockets for new vocabulary."
-James Nicoll, can.general, March 21, 1992

Quote from TofuQueen

Quote from Scyfon

But it's more likely you'll get a D&D letter...I think

Er...I think it's a "C & D" letter, for "Cease & Desist"...not quite sure what a D & D letter would be, but I'm sure people will come up with some possibilities. 🤣

Yeah, I think the first step would be a C & D letter, & if you quit then, you're probably ok.

Oops....too much gaming, I suppose xD

[img]http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa229/azrinirza/makotoshinkai1_zpse3901c5a.gif[/img]
Everyday I'm tumblin'

ah ok..

and if you would use scanned mangas? would that be legal?

Since you're letting people view it for free it shouldn't be legal, but there are many manga-viewing sites out there like OneManga and they are much-appreciated

Lalala~

Quote from kabel333

ah ok..

and if you would use scanned mangas? would that be legal?

It doesn't matter how you go about it in any language, it's still illegal unless you have permission from the publisher.

Though just like others have stated, no one's stopping you. There are just more consequences one way than the other.

[img]http://dragcave.net/image/XIBD.gif[/img][img]http://tinyurl.com/8uczzq/.gif[/img]

ok so its illegal. but there are so many sites offering mangascans and none seems to have issues with copyrights? how is that possible? 😕 😕

The publisher probably don't want to send some many letters out to the online viewing sites since they know that people are always going to be scanlating manga. And anybody can open a website and to let people view and download manga series off of it. There'll be no point really

Quote from kabel333

ok so its illegal. but there are so many sites offering mangascans and none seems to have issues with copyrights? how is that possible? 😕 😕

Not true. If you go OneManga, you'll notice that some series are "grayed out" because they're in discussion with the publisher about whether or not they'll be allowed to keep the series up. Get big enough to be noticed and you will be.

If you've ever thought or said "Nice Guys finish last" and really meant it, then you should probably read this LJ post by DivaLion. It's incredibly insightful whether you're male or female.

From a bumper sticker I like:
"If you're gonna ride my ass, at least pull my hair."

bottom line, nobody cares, the publishers don't. I mean the worst they gonna do is sent you a letter or something, but they are too lazy to do even that, so no it's fine.

Put it this way, if torrent or movie viewing sites are not getting sued, you won't. Last time I checked Hollywood is bigger than some small time manga comapny.

Starter of Controversy.

It's illegal no matter what language it is. As long as you're based in a country that signed the Berne Convention (which is pretty much any country with internet access), it falls under breach of international copyright law.

You'll notice in arguments like this that the people who have been around the scene long enough have an "it's illegal, we know it, but we don't think it's hurting anyone" stance, while newbies seem to vehemently argue that it's perfectly legal simply because no one's been sued yet. I have received cease and desist letters addressed to me personally from Japanese publishing houses (namely Kodansha, twice) asking that I no longer translate their manga, some of which were not licensed and have not subsequently been licensed (Lucu Lucu and Hajime no Ippo, for example), under penalty of civil lawsuit. Scanlating is illegal. There is no gray about it. I wholeheartedly believe that translating stories that aren't available in English is good for the manga market in the US, but that doesn't make it legal. And all of the groups that work on licensed projects certainly don't help those of us with morals make a good argument in court should we ever be brought there.

^
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In case you didn't read the post above, read it.
Then read it again.
That's the truth.

If you've ever thought or said "Nice Guys finish last" and really meant it, then you should probably read this LJ post by DivaLion. It's incredibly insightful whether you're male or female.

From a bumper sticker I like:
"If you're gonna ride my ass, at least pull my hair."