Opposing Opinions on Piracy in Two Similar Mediums

[davidn15]

As a fan of both manga and western comics, I've come to notice something very interesting regarding piracy. While both manga and western comics are readily available for pirating online, the opinion on piracy between fans of the two is vastly different. From personal experience, most manga fans don't care about piracy and readily do so. Comic fans however, for the most part seem to be vehemently against piracy of comics.

For the record, I'm on the anti-piracy side.

Discuss

[Hazard]

Availability.

Most issues likely boil down to that point.

[davidn15]

I think that certainly is part of it. But at the same time, there are a lot of manga readers who just absolutely refuse to buy even the stuff that's been brought over. They feel entitled to it you know?

[Hazard]

I think that certainly is part of it. But at the same time, there are a lot of manga readers who just absolutely refuse to buy even the stuff that's been brought over. They feel entitled to it you know?

There are all types. Entitled fans are certainly nothing new in any medium, and when you combine that with a prevalent feeling that "Official translation< Fan translation", it is kind of easy to follow the thought process. Why spend your money on something when you can get something better for free? Mind you, I am not saying it is right. But it's easy to see how they can feel that way.

[Ghost]

I think that certainly is part of it. But at the same time, there are a lot of manga readers who just absolutely refuse to buy even the stuff that's been brought over. They feel entitled to it you know?

You're thinking about it backwards. The problem isn't availability as in "the manga I want isn't up for sale, so I pirate." The problem is availability as in: "Why should I bother buying this manga when it's available on the internet for free?"

Basically, most people will not pay for things unless they are forced to. I have a pretty good theory as to why this is, but it's long and complicated and I don't think I want to bother typing it down on this tiny keyboard. Suffice to say, I don't think it's just a matter of entitlement. I think it runs a lot deeper then that.

Anyway, I have rarely pirated comics since I don't actually read them very often, but in my experience comic scans are way harder to come by then manga. I certainly haven't found any sites that lets you read hundreds if comics for free.

[Sighphi]

I think that certainly is part of it. But at the same time, there are a lot of manga readers who just absolutely refuse to buy even the stuff that's been brought over. They feel entitled to it you know?

It also has to do with the content, some stuff gets edited when it's brought over.

[davidn15]

Anyway, I have rarely pirated comics since I don't actually read them very often, but in my experience comic scans are way harder to come by then manga. I certainly haven't found any sites that lets you read hundreds if comics for free.

Comic scans are just as easy to come by as long as you are okay with downloading them instead of reading them off some site. That being the case, I don't think ease of access to pirated material is what causes the difference in opinions between the two fan bases.

[Kevin M.]

Comic scans are just as easy to come by as long as you are okay with downloading them instead of reading them off some site. That being the case, I don't think ease of access to pirated material is what causes the difference in opinions between the two fan bases.

I have to go with Hazard on the ease of access.

A lot of people who use scan sites just can't get manga at their local comic shop, or can't afford to import it from another country. As cliche as it sounds, this is probably the main reason for it. Maybe if Viz can iron out the bugs in their manga subscription service, then things could be a little different.

[Bakasama]

...but in my experience comic scans are way harder to come by then manga. I certainly haven't found any sites that lets you read hundreds if comics for free.

I think part of it is that manga is just easier to pirate. I was shocked when I found out that titles like Naruto and One Piece get scanned and translated before the Shounen Jump issues where the scans come from got released in stores.

[Siriel]

I'll ask people to please not say things like "It is that way for me", especially without actually bringing anything new to the discussion. Let's keep in mind that pirating manga is a crime.

[Wild Card]

I think the different views (at least in the U.S.) are as follows:

1. The roots of Ani/Manga fandom - Many of the early fans had to get their start on bootlegs (mostly pre-internet) and some of these former bootleggers went on to start legit companies in the industry.
2. Age of fandom - The average age of manga tends to be younger than the average age of comic fans.
3. The I want it now attitude - Some fans are just too impatience to wait for the official releases.
4. Collectors vs. Get it anyway you can - comic fans tend to come more a collector standpoint.
5. Stick it to the man - Some fans actually believe they're on some noble quest a hint to those people You're not, you're really sticking to your fellow fans

[Hazard]

I'll say it is true that many manga fans are first exposed to it through online manga sites. Honestly, it is way easier to find manga scans than it is to find comic scans.

I'll disagree that age has much to do with this. There is no age for piracy, and being older doesn't really make you less piracy prone.

[Kevin M.]

I'll ask people to please not say things like "It is that way for me", especially without actually bringing anything new to the discussion. Let's keep in mind that pirating manga is a crime.

We'll make sure to keep that in mind.

[The Drunkard Kid]

One thing of note is that you need a lot less shelf space for manga volumes if their digital. Even putting two rows per shelf, DB/Z takes a good chunk of my manga cabinet.

[Ghost]

Comic scans are just as easy to come by as long as you are okay with downloading them instead of reading them off some site.

See, the bolded bit is the critical part here.

You are basically saying that getting free comics is just as easy as getting free manga as long as you are willing to put in a bit of extra effort.