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From: Declan Murphy <declan_murphy@hotmail.com>
Newsgroups: fj.life.in-japan
Subject: Re: Scanlation
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 2004 21:05:14 +0900
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Eric Takabayashi wrote:

> Paul Blay wrote:

> <snip>No authorized foreign release
> equals no money. No authorized release (perhaps none at any price) means
> unauthorized or illegal versions (if any) will be all there will be. Sounds like
> simple common sense.

Another oversimplification Eric. No authorized foreign release does not
equal "no money", it simply equals "no sales". In terms of accounting
its a hell of a difference. Managing Directors and entire boards have
resigned for less. An authorized foreign release means (some) *sales*,
but not necessarily (some) *profits*, after the cost of sales is taken
into account. And even if there are profits, if the profit as a
percentage of outlays is less than that company's average profit then it
is more or less a waste of resources. Just as in other industry,
widespread unchecked counterfeiting *will* affect the balance sheet.

It isn't a problem limited to Japanese publishing. There are
considerable costs, and one massive learning curve involved, in
expanding distribution abroad. Look at the Harry Potter series and the
massive delay between the publishing of the original English version,
and the eventual Japanese translation, despite the fact that the
publishers and distributers know with 100% certainty that the Japanese
release of Harry Potter number X will be profitable - a luxury very few
other creative products would share. That there is a timelag and
reluctance to risk authorised distribution of what at the end of the day
is relatively obscure Japanese manga, into a market saturated with
illegal counterfeiting, is fairly understandable IMO.

-- 
"Ninety percent I'll spend on good times, women and Irish Whiskey. The
other ten percent I'll probably waste." - Tug McGraw