Problems with DVD

[drainer@mpinet.net]

     The otaku do not make profits, although I didn't make that clear, the
main hindering factor to otaku productions have been vendors at conventions
who attempt to make extreme profits of their bootlegs. I am not sure if they
use legal grounds, as the big conventions, i.e., otakon,  have banned
trading and selling of fan sub tapes by not only vendors but also attendees.

daniel freire



----- Original Message -----
From: "Delorese Harrington" <dharring at mail.ucf.edu>
To: <KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu>
Sent: Thursday, March 28, 2002 11:23 AM
Subject: Re: Problems with DVD


> I believe that the US and Japan have had a long tradition of no Copywrite
compliance.  In other words, as long as an american company or a company
with american holdings doesn't own the copywrite there is no agreement with
Japan not to reproduce the materials.  Japan likewise, doesn't respect
American copywrite laws unless a Japanese company has some ties with the
company that owns the writes to the work in question.
>
> The Otaku use this legal grounds to reproduce and subtitle anime that has
not been purchased by an american company nor has any connection to american
companies.  It also produces the work for only the cost of the materials.
There by not making a profit from the item.
>
> The HongKong copies that people purchase through ebay or on the internet
are a different problem.  HongKong has a copywrite agreement with Japan.
Therefore any unofficial reproduction is illegal to be bought or sold in
that country.
>
> Usually internet sales are considered to happen at the place of the
purchasers, so Americans are safe to buy these provided again they are not
owned by an American company or a company that has american holdings.
>
> Kay Harrington
> University of Central Florida
>
> >>> drainer at mpinet.net 03/28/02 11:02AM >>>
>
>      From my experience (of knowing otaku, that is), most of what is
> considered "good" anime is not for sale in the U.S., or illegal to have
due
> to copyright issues, or it belongs in the "non-commercial" category (as
does
> film, that's why we resort to VCDs).
>     They're in the same conflicting position, the only difference here is
> that they provide a solution for this problem that the academic spectrum
> cannot be involved with. They subtitle and "release" imported videos
within
> their own groups, since most of what they watch is obscure or Japanese
> release, it makes sense. Of course, this approach is a little unethical
due
> to legalities, but in fan cultures there are small worries about the risks
> involved -- just look at conventions, the number one source for over
priced
> bootlegs.
>
>
>
> daniel freire
> (n)
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ito, Michiko" <mito at ukans.edu>
> To: <KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu>
> Cc: "Daikichi Mitake (E-mail)" <mitake at kinokuniya.com>
> Sent: Thursday, March 28, 2002 10:28 AM
> Subject: RE: Problems with DVD
>
>
> > May I add something....?
> >
> > I am a Japanese studies librarian at the University of Kansas.  I
recently
> > applied a library support fund program requesting a DVD set "Mainichi
Eiga
> > Konk_uru _Ofuji Nobuo-sh_o jush_o tanpen anim_eshon zensh_u" (_ is a
> > substitute for macron).  Though my request was approved, Eiz_o Bunka
> > Seisakusha Renmei, the copyright holder, announced through Kinokuniya,
the
> > distributing company of the set, that the DVD set was produced for
> domestic
> > sale only and selling it overseas would be considered an illegal act.
> > Kinokuniya promised to negotiate with Renmei for consideration of
overseas
> > sale, so my request is pending.  It may be canceled if Kinokuniya fails
to
> > negotiate.  I also learned that some other American university libraries
> > also failed to acquire the set, because of this restriction.
> >
> > As most of you know, Japanese "anime" works have become extremely
popular
> > among young people in America(--more broadly, all over the world?)
Public
> > and cable channels air "anime" programs every day; large rental video
> shops
> > have "anime" sections; "anime" conventions are held in major American
> cities
> > every year.  Researchers also show strong interest in analyzing "anime"
> from
> > the viewpoints of art, film, and culture.
> >
> > But "anime" available in the US are all commercial oriented, and little
is
> > known about such non-commercial "anime" included in this collection.
The
> > works included in this set show not only the variety of materials, such
as
> > clay, paper, and dolls, unlike regular commercial "anime" but also the
> > development of animation in post-war Japan.  (The oldest work included
in
> > this set was made in 1952.)  Moreover, some works received awards at
> > international animation festivals.  (Kawamoto Kihachir_o's "Kataku" and
> > "D_oj_oji.")  The DVD set would be a valuable collection to fill the gap
> > between extremely popular commercial "anime" and largely unknown
> non-profit
> > "anime."  Nonetheless, KU as well as other universities which also want
to
> > make the set available for their research community, could not obtain
the
> > set, because of the restriction posed by Renmei.
> >
> > According to the flyer of this set provided by Kinokuniya, the set is
> > available for individuals as well as libraries---as long as they are in
> > Japan.  Only because KU is an overseas institute, our purchase request
was
> > declined.  Renmei may have a good reason not to sell the DVD set to
> overseas
> > customers, but I cannot but help lamenting that we failed to provide the
> > American anime fans and film researchers with the DVD set, which would
be
> > very useful and important source for education and research.
> >
> >
> > Michiko Ito
> > Japanese Studies Librarian
> > East Asian Library
> > University of Kansas Libraries
> > Watson Library
> > 1425 Jayhawk Blvd.
> > Lawrence KS 60045-7544
> > TEL: (785) 864-4669
> > FAX: (785) 864-5311
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Stephen Cremin [mailto:asianfilmlibrary at mac.com]
> > Sent: Wednesday, March 27, 2002 8:50 PM
> > To: KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
> > Subject: Re: Problems with DVD
> >
> >
> > Perhaps film companies smell a profit to be made selling to universities
> > and are holding out for five figure sums.  Which US university was it
> > who paid a fortune to Shochiku to license silent films for their
> > students which were actually already legally out of copyright?
> >
> > Stephen
> >
> >
> > On Thursday, March 28, 2002, at 02:27 AM, Aaron Gerow wrote:
> >
> > > I am writing to see if anyone else has experienced some problems in
> > > purchasing DVDs for university use in Japan.  I teach film, among
other
> > > things, at Yokohama National University in Japan. Every year, I use
> > > university money to purchase VHS and DVD versions of Japanese films
for
> > > class use. Since I teach courses that include international students,
I
> > > have been especially pleased that some recent DVDs of Japanese films
> > > manufactured in Japan have included English subtitles and have made a
> > > point of purchasing those.
> > >
> > > However this year, when I tried to purchase about 31 of those DVD, I
was
> > > told by the accounting department which placed the orders that 29 of
> > > them
> > > could not be sold to universities because that would violate copyright
> > > law.  If it was a VHS copy, it would be OK, I was told, but DVD--the
> > > only
> > > format that has the English subtitles--was no good. This, I thought,
was
> > > not only absurd, but I had faced no such problems with DVDs before, so
I
> > > asked them to try another purchasing route. That however also did not
> > > work.
> > >
> > > I am both furious and confused. First, from my knowledge of Japanese
> > > copyright law, there is not only no distinction made between DVD and
VHS
> > > soft (after all, I had no problem purchasing 2 of the DVDs), but fair
> > > use
> > > by educational institutions is protected (I can use films in class if
> > > those who are seeing them are registered students--that is, that the
> > > screening is not for an indeterminate audience). Second, this clearly
> > > obstructs film education in Japan, if not research as well. Third,
this
> > > also seems to be a short-sighted measure, where companies, afraid that
> > > university use will hurt sales to individuals, block the sales to
> > > universities, but forget that in a culture where young Japanese do not
> > > watch Japanese films, introducing Japanese cinema to students is one
of
> > > the roles universities can play in supporting the future of Japanese
> > > film. Fourth, this also obstructs efforts to introduce Japanese
culture
> > > to non-Japanese.
> > >
> > > I was wondering if anyone else in Japan had the same experience. If
> > > these
> > > seems to be a general policy, I plan to launch an protest to the
> > > companies selling the DVDs. Since I personally know some of the
> > > directors
> > > of the films involved, I hope to enlist their help as well.
> > >
> > > Aaron Gerow
> > > Associate Professor
> > > International Student Center
> > > Yokohama National University
> > > 79-1 Tokiwadai
> > > Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501
> > > JAPAN
> > > E-mail: gerow at ynu.ac.jp
> > > Phone: 81-45-339-3170
> > > Fax: 81-45-339-3171
> > >
>