Eric Takabayashi wrote:
> Declan Murphy wrote:
> 
>>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 it is common sense. <snip>

Not for the risk averse. There is no obligation on a company, Japanese
or otherwise, to risk losing their shareholder's money by prematurely
launching a product. The copyright exists, there is plenty of time, the
"fans" should either learn to read Japanese and buy from authorized
outlets, or wait. There is no justification for stealing. I'm wondering
why a presumably reformed shoplifter like yourself can't understand what
is at the end of the day the most basic aspect of this issue?

>>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
> 
> A 30 year "timelag"? The Japanese entertainment giant Toei can't adapt or sell its
> own damned products to the world's largest market in the most common international
> language in less than 30 years? 

It doesn't matter. They own the content. It is their asset, they paid
for it, rewarding the original creator in the process, and they
shouldn't be held to ransom by pirates - whether said pirates be deluded
nerds, idiots or otherwise. The copyright lasts in many cases up to 70
years. So live with it. Without copyright and copyright law, there would
be less crap for you to read or watch. It all comes out in the wash.
You're the "published writer" - learn the rules.

> And if the Japanese don't make their move to overcome that learning curve (near two
> decades in the case of manga in the US, and it's finally got to the stage that
> American readers accept reading right to left and having Japanese sound effects in
> English in an all black and white comic), then they won't accomplish much despite
> having considerably more resources than JN Productions, NGN TV, or some fan with a
> little Japanese skill and a computer or copy machine.

Does the failure in the market place of "the Japanese" (you racist
bastard) to succeed in marketing their products justify or legitimize
theft of intellectual property? I think not.

I think the main difference here Eric, is that unlike you I don't have
an emotional investment in this issue. Not for the first time, your
inability to think or act in a manner even vaguely rational affects your
views. In my case I'm not a manga fan (I've never read one, and only
seen one - that "Le voyage de Chihiro" thingee one of my ex-gfs dragged
me along to - & during which I fell asleep) and make no differentiation
between the patents for say machine tools or pharmaceuticals, and err,
comics. But there is no reason why the creator of software for some
anime thingee (a consumer product), should be shafted by piracy, while
the creator of software for an industrial robot (an industrial product
used for creating consumer products) reaps their just reward.

> Perhaps a business authority like yourself with three jobs and two companies can tell

4 jobs and 3 companies now (for tax purposes I incorporated a sole
trader op). Do try to keep up. In fact over the last 6 months my net
wealth has increased by what is by recent standards a healthy 647 yen.
If I could afford to visit my wine cellar, I'd crack open a nice Chablis.

> me why authorized foreign video releases can sell for much less than in Japan (if
> available in Japan at all), despite the costs of having them remastered if needed,
> adapted (subtitled, dubbed, or having additional language tracks added, and
> objectionable scenes edited) and marketed.

Because local demand determines local price. Any 18 year old
undergraduate student would encounter these concepts in the first 8
weeks of any microeconomics course. Similarly anyone with an inquiring
mind who read a little more widely than manga would soon encounter the
theory of marginal returns.

Always HTH.

-- 
"Is there any connection between the murders?"
Police spokesman: "Yes, they're all dead!"