Cobalt001: Yes. I believe people should have the choice whether or not to pay. This is the main reason I rip and upload comics today. I want to give people the choice to read a webtoon for free or to pay for it the legal way. If they really liked the series, they would probably be willing to pay for it to begin with or willing to donate to the author. On the other hand, if they never intended to pay to begin with, then the site was never going to make money from them anyway, whether or not I upload their comics elsewhere. I rip and upload to share content with people who can’t afford it or don’t feel comfortable paying for it. In my opinion, Webtoons is the ideal way to share webtoons, giving it out for free and offering Patreon as an optional payment method to support the author. (Which is why I never rip their comics.) I just wish more sites would follow suit.

(excerpt from this interview: https://mangaplanet.jp/cobalt001-001_rips-speaks-interview/)

Would you say you agree with this ripper? Scanlations are one thing, but rips seem to be outright stealing.

No, I don't agree in the least. These are baseless assumptions. The most logic way of thinking is that, if there were no other way to purchase something other than paying for it, some wouldn't do it, and some would. It's the same mentality that has brought salaries down in my country. People are desperate enough to work almost for free, and thus companies don't bother offering more, because if you refuse, somebody will accept anyway. In this case the company is the reader, and we are the artist, who cannot profit from their work. That's not on the people, it's on the law and on how it is enforced. When I read manga online I'm well aware I'm not doing anything that's morally right.

My current top 3:
Fullmetal Alchemist
Pandora Hearts
3-gatsu no Lion

To answer the topic at hand: yes, rips of official release are okay. And, I don't see a problem with stating this since you have, on record, that Crunchyroll is lying to it's customers and pocketing the money (As well as using that money to create their own "anime", in addition to creating a gatekeeping cartel that has already silenced/lambasted some Japanese creators), ADV lied about Ghost Stories success in Japan so that people would have a "reason" to accept that unacceptable dub, Funimation's history of changing dubs to make political statements, and numerous companies, most infamously Harmony Gold, sitting on licenses to series for decades on end for no other reason than to sue other companies.

If you want to support the creator, or even just want to have a physical copy to have on your bookshelf, you import the damn thing or buy the merchandise.

Quote from Manga Planet

Although MangaDex has banned uploads of original releases (raws) and official English versions...

Since when? I've read through a few series on MangaDex that are official rips, and, boy, the translations are terrible.

Quote from Manga Planet

We had yet to speak with rippers despite discussing how they impact the lives of GGANG-E, White Eared, Mingwa, and Seru.

Already gave my thoughts on that here. TL;DR:

They are Megalia.

[img]http://www.dragonflycave.com/wpay/mew.gif[/img]

Yes, I agree with this completely. In fact, when I go shopping next time, I will use the same argument. It is obvious that I should have the right to decide whether I should pay (and how much) for the stuff I'm taking out of the store. If I like the product, I might support the store on Patreon.

Active translations list
Completed translations list
Dropped translations

Oh, that reminds me of something...

OI! What about the fact that you're illegally using a screenshot taken from Planet Alcatraz? If you live an any EU territory, and haven't got a license, that's going to cost ya.

Be prepared for this much stupidity once Article 11 and 13 pass come January.

[img]http://www.dragonflycave.com/wpay/mew.gif[/img]

Mighty interesting discussion.

Transdude1996, I followed up on your links to discussions of issues and found a lot of stuff I'd never known or heard of before. Thanks.

It's not that simple. I don't think it can be summed into a yes/no answer. In the same way ripping ROMs of some video games that are long out of production or made by a dead company are in all honesty ok, I think ripping certain manga/manhwa are ok, and some aren't. I mean on principle it's kinda shady sure, I'll give it that, but it's not an absolute.

Welcome to the watering hole, came here to wet your whistle?

I wish there's a either/both option. To me, if you actually work hard on the licensed work like the translation, proofread, editing is excellent, then I personally believe it shouldn't be ripped off. But if it's horrible, why must we pay for such horrible piece of work? To me, it's more of a quality than quantity. To me it's okay if it's horrible work quality, like no... not paying for you to give me such low quality work when other non-profit groups does it better.

Owner of Tainted Sins

Looking For: KOR/CH/JP TL & CL/RD

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