Declan Murphy wrote:

> I mean is there any particular reason why I have to lower myself to drinking Guinness on tap
> in my bar when I'd much prefer to be drinking Beamish?

No. Why should you?

> You manga freaks

Who's a manga freak? Haven't been involved in about nine years since I got engaged, and when
the good stuff I used to see in university like City Hunter and Dragonball ended.

> can't appreciate the important things in life,

What important things? Are you referring to family, or maybe making money?

> and its so unfair :-( Have you stopped for a minute to think of all of the things you can't
> get?

You mean like things I took for granted back home such as clean air, clean water, open space or
grass, which most Japanese people I know cannot comprehend? You mean a lifestyle without a
priority on one's social position or income? Think about them often. Part of why I am headed
for home in rural Hawaii.

> Probably not. But its probably time you did. Welcome to Life 101 Eric.

Don't know what you are talking about. I care little about this scanlation issue but to make
the single point I made originally, and don't care if any dealers, customers or users are
treated as criminals. It would be very interesting if they all were.

> >>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?
> >
> > Which is what?
>
> That receiving pirated material is no different to receiving stolen goods.

Try a Google search and see that it is I who was criticized years ago by posters on this group
for making such a link between such as downloading mp3s and theft based on the fact it deprived
companies of income. I do not know why you believe I seem to be condoning or excusing it. I
simply acknowledge that the behavior exists.

> It is theft.

Yes it is.

> And the (reality of) theft is lowering the price the market
> is willing to pay, as well as increase the risks of unprofitable
> distribution.

There will be some people who unreasonably think they should get everything for free. But is
lowering one's own price to what the market is willing to pay or increasing risk also theft?

> > It is not about being held to ransom by pirates, it is about not making MORE money for
> > THEMSELVES by releasing their product which people want.
>
> Releasing a product some people want, but for a price less than the cost
> of sales in many cases. The decision on whether to release or not is

> essentially mathematical, and one of the factors is loss of sales to
> theft, or cost of sales due to the exorbitant cost (in some markets) of
> legal action.

I was wondering why you had not brought up legal issues until now. While new releases of
Marvelman/Miracleman are surely held up by legal issues, it would seem that certain 70s TV
heroes are not.

> Shove the race issue where the sun doesn't shine.

I'm not the one complaining about race issues calling the other a bastard if even in jest.

> Scanlation = theft. It doesn't matter whose stuff is being pirated, it is still theft.

When have I disagreed with any previous post alluding or saying so?

> without protections for intellectual property there would be a
> lot less to consume? You would like to consume would you not?

Yep. And I'd like to buy some of what is not currently available in the US or Japan. For
example, I'd happily buy the two seasons of the original "Star Trek" if they were sold the way
they sell later series of "Star Trek" - for about $100 per season, not $17 per two episode DVD
which would make it more like $600 for the series, or $900 when the DVD box set comes out in
Japan. And I'm not going to buy any of those videos or sets, precisely because I am not a manga
or SF freak. I will, however, buy the original "Star Wars" trilogy on DVD. I am not sure if I
should get it in Japan so my kids can enjoy it later (for $90) or if I should get in in the US
for myself for about $40. I've bought about 40 DVDs in the past year, and my limit is about
2,000 yen. If a movie is more than that, no matter how good, I'm not buying, though maybe I
bought "Secret of My Success" for 2,500 yen by accident.

> > I did not say there was a reason either. But piracy of manga and video exists, as surely
> > as other violations of intellectual property exist. If you would like to talk about
> > unauthorized copies of Toyota cars made in China, or unauthorized copies of French
> > accessories made in Korea, you'll get the same response as for manga or videos.
>
> And yet you can't see the link?

What link are you referring to which you think I cannot see, despite all explicit statements
that I am not justifying unauthorized trades, piracy or theft but to say that it actually
exists and will likely continue to do so?

> Do you understand the difference between
> the cost of replicating digital data when compared to replicating
> widgets?

Relatively low?

> And why a company in a field where replication costs per unit
> are lower would by definition become more risk averse than one in a
> field where the barriers to (illegal) entry were larger?

No, I don't see that. If you are claiming that costs or barriers are so low (so low that
amateur translators with a computer or access to a photocopier have a chance), then that is
precisely the reason that the companies need to move quickly with their own product at a
reasonable price to prevent others from unjustly establishing themselves as a source.

> > I hope that you, like a 31 year old female cardiologist I know who drives a purple Porsche
> and works one day a week in Tokyo who repeatedly claims to people who will listen that
> doctors are not wealthy, are merely joking when making such self deprecating comments about
> your success.
>
> No joking at all. Given the choice between consumption and investment I
> make the latter.

Other than being of service to others including your employees, may I ask what is in it for you
and why you bother?

> > If you were charging Japanese three or four times what you were charging in Australia for a
> similar product or service and your companies were doing even more poorly than you suggest
> they are doing now, what would you consider to remedy the situation? Would you not consider
> lowering your price in Japan?
>
> Probably not actually. The sales in Australia would probably be
> incremental sales on sunk costs. In such cases reducing wholesale price
> in the major market wouldn't help overall sales, let alone profits.

How about lowering your costs in Japan then, if as with Japanese book and video releases, they
may refuse to lower prices or give discounts? Another thing you do not seem to be bringing up
is Japanese distribution system or cost of labor.

> > Which is why I ask about Japanese pricing. Toei didn't have enough success with their $400
> > editions of Kikaida to even keep it in production in VHS and LD, and don't bother putting
> > it on DVD (a single volume of "Inazuman" goes for 14,480 yen) because they think it will
> > not be profitable, while in the US a set of eight DVDs (lacking the ninth and last volume)
> > of authorized videos may sell for about $100 at discount<snip>
>
> The latter price is almost by definition incremental. Such practices
> used to upset the sepponian USTR, even though its pretty much what US
> (and other) firms do in reverse, and always have done.

You'll have to help me out here. What product from the US can I buy in Japan cheaper than at
home? All I can be sure of are 50 or 100 yen rentals of Hollywood videos.

> > Is your justification as simple as, they can do what they want with their company and
> > product if they are not willing to take the risk? You do not try to claim their approach
> > actually makes good sense or actually makes them the most profit?
>
> Yes to both questions. And unless their shareholders (not you, not the
> fansubbers) decide otherwise, then they are correct.

I'm not sure of your answer to the second question. Do you believe the current approach is what
actually makes them the most profit?