While doing domain name search just to see what was out there I saw a couple of websites that registered domains name that streamed unlicensed and licensed japanese cartoons. I thought to this is much bigger than someone stealing our contents and putting it on his own site. Should I complain on informing google? I checked his site's source and found that google ads are there. I mean isn't one of google ads policies is not 'infringe on the rights and personal properties of others"? Unlike youtube where it's the user who upload materials, and when informed youtube takes it down. These sites have stuff like, "Come check back with us. We'll keep uploading more shows". I kept thinking I should complain to google about these sites. After all these sites violated google's policies. Anyways, if google doesn't take away their ads, isn't google responsible? I mean, those websites owner are basically stealing the hard work of others. And, if after telling google and they do nothing, wouldn't google be considered a co conspirator? Kinda like someone steals something from someone else and google fund them money to stay in business. Seeing how many of these websites are out there, I was wandering if most people just turned a blind eye towards them.
Actually, it is the Japanese anime studios that mostly turn a blind eye to them. The Japanese studios have used fansubs as a way to judge whether or not to license a show in other countries. Many fansubs are known and specifically allowed by the studios. They are supposed to stop once the show is licensed in that country though.
My belief is that it is the foreigner companies that buys the licensed from japanese companies. So it would be the foreign companies that use the fan sites as a way to judge which anime they would like to buy the license t. What japanese company wouldn't want to license they shows to other countries? So it is the foreign companies that are the one doing the choosing. Actually, I have nothing against fansubbers at all. My concerns are the websites that streams the fansubs online. Other people intellectual properties are streamed online on the basis that it is not licensed in their respective country isn't right and does go against one google's policy. In fact, a lot of people have websites where contents are stolen as shown by the number of threads in here. Yet, they aren't licensed or trademark in other countries. Anyway, let say the thief who stole our content is safe in another country. Now however google is the one paying these thieves bills. It brings me back to the thief who shop lift merchandises in one stores and go back out and sale the merchandise to another store. The one who buys it is also at fault.
What I am saying is that a lot of fansub sites have permission from the Japanese studios (or at the very leat the studios know about it and choose to do nothing as they see it as free advertising). If the fansub has permission then it is not illegal. Whether the streaming sites are infringing depends on the rules set forth by the studio and the fansubbers. As far as complaining to Google, only the copyright holder or their legal representative have standing to make a complaint.
Pretty much nearly all of these sites don't have permissions. And laws in Japan is alot my lenient with copyrighted materials. For example, douhjins. Also, the argument that many said that as long as it's not license in a certain country means it's allowable is going too far. For example, what differentiates music and movies? Both are intellectual properties. Does it have to get licensed in a country before it should be taken down? I am not attacking fansubs by the least, just streamers. I fear we are going too far. And if self regulations won't work I fear govt intervention is around the corner.
Government intervention is already here. But even the law doesn't do anything if the people whose material is being infringed don't cry foul.
Anime studios have more than enough money to persue the issue if they wanted to. Some do, others don't. It's their choice.
That statement is false, most anime studios do not have the money to go and start court cases overseas. That's why they let whoever licensed the anime, to that for them, this is the main reason as to why fansubbers stop subbing, because they are told to stop by these american countries [ADV Films, Viz Media , FunIMATION.. etc]
What anime studios are you referring to? Even the ones that are suffering declining profits are still generating millions per quarter. Sure, there are start-up studios and small studios that do one show and they may not have enough money. However, most of those studios are either not being streamed or they are selling their works to larger studios that have large distribution networks. It may not be enough to sue every infringer, but it is certainly enough to sue enough people to make most infringers stop streaming their works. Unlike music downloaders, people that infringe for the purpose of making money tend to drop products that are likely to get them sued.