Singapore cracks down on anime piracy
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we will end up buying burned cds of ppl.Originally posted by Gordonator:exactly. by doing this and pissing off all anime fans. we will rather not watch than to spend money buying their crappy discs.
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Nope, if like this more then 50k people go jail liao.Originally posted by MohamedF:Anyone know if true or false...
I dont believe they will take despo measures like this. -
i anticipate more sites like tis to pop up...Originally posted by MohamedF:
anw not much anime to choose frm leh... -
One small step for anime fan...Originally posted by life2121:i anticipate more sites like tis to pop up...
anw not much anime to choose frm leh...
Maybe it will grow very big by next year if got enough publicity...
but also, it runs the risk of being the next odex...
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hmm. wonder if they are dubbed in english.Originally posted by MohamedF: -
some letters published in the straits times.
Odex should harness the Internet to distribute its wares
I REFER to the report, 'Getting anime illegally online? Beware' (ST, June 1).
I was slightly amused when I read the report as it appeared to be a fantastic PR opportunity for Odex to raise awareness about its core business in distributing anime in Singapore.
More importantly, I was amused by the fact that Odex, besides having to contend with the issue of piracy, was conceding the fact that the 'pirates' or 'fansubbers' are actually doing a better job than them in providing the 'consumers' with a product they wanted, according to the perception of the consuming public.
Judging from the sentiments as expressed on online forums such as Hardwarezone and VR-Zone, it appears to me, a third-party observer, that the consumers don't mind paying for their anime, but are unwilling to do so for low-quality versions of it and are quite adamant about their non-support of Odex's products because of the particular 'perception problem', as mentioned by Odex spokesman Stephen Sing.
I'm personally not a fan of anime, but this by far would be the most interesting anti-piracy drive because, for the first time, the original is perceived as being inferior to the pirated copies, as opposed to the norm where pirated usually means poor bootleg copies or bad camera jobs.
A possible solution would be to create an online distribution channel and allow fansubbers to do the subtitling in exchange for a commission, in what could potentially be a win-win-win situation for the fansubbers, the consumers and Odex.
If Odex is able to provide cheap bundle deals of three DVDs for $9.90 inclusive of costs such as packaging and cost of producing the discs, I'm certain it would be able to offer a much more competitive pricing by harnessing the Internet's advantage of near-zero distribution cost.
It would require a total rethink in the business strategy, distribution and perhaps even require it to re-negotiate the distribution agreement it has.
Having said that, I suppose it is much easier for it to just scare people by sending out warning letters and issuing a press release to strike fear.
It would be much better if Odex could seek the opinions of fans and come up with a solution that works instead of simply trying to force the law upon the same group of people they expect to be their loyal buyers.
Wang Hongjun -
Japanese anime: A fan speaks up
I REFER to the article, 'Getting anime illegally online? Beware' (ST, June 1).
I maintain a blog on Japanese anime and pop culture that is read by many Singaporean and overseas anime fans.
I believe that our fan community is being severely misrepresented by the article in question and I ask for a chance to let us, the anime fans, give our side of the story which the article unfortunately neglected.
It is no understatement to say that fansubs are the foundations of the entire anime community in Singapore.
Fansubs and word-of-mouth created the popularity that anime enjoys today.
Some people see it as nothing but piracy, but I disagree.
There are hundreds of anime series being aired in Japan and only a very minute fraction of it become commercially successful enough to garner interest from foreign companies.
The rest of them never stood a chance of making it abroad.
Fansubs changed that. Some of the most popular shows today were made famous by digital fansubs, or online piracy as some would call it.
They went on to become international hits. It is no coincidence that the popularity of anime increased exponentially all over the world in recent years just as file-sharing and broadband technology matured.
I have personally spent thousands on anime DVDs and soundtracks. I know that I, along with all my friends in the community, would not have spent a single cent on anime if we had not come to know of it through illegal fansubs.
I hope the irony is not unnoticed. And yet even those of us who are willing to spend nearly $100 to import a R2 DVD from Japan refuse to pay $9.90 for a locally-made R3 DVD of the same anime title. I wonder if it is truly just a simple matter of digital piracy at work here?
One more episode downloaded does not equate to one less DVD sold. It is just not that simple.
Jiang Chang Xing -
'Perception' problem will stay if Odex does not improve service
I AM writing in response to the article, 'Getting anime illegally online? Beware' (ST, June 1).
In the article, Odex spokesman Stephen Sing mentioned a 'perception problem' concerning the quality of 'original anime works'.
He is absolutely right. There is a perception problem - but Odex has not shown anime fans any evidence it is willing to change that.
Odex's current website (www.odex.com.sg) has been showing an 'Under Construction' placeholder for at least the past two weeks. Its previous site was not any better, as it was not constantly kept up to date.
Websites are a vital connection to the young and tech-savvy client�le - it is a way to keep them up-to-date on the newest releases, upcoming licences, a catalogue of current licences as well as a mode for feedback from the fans.
Also, a look into local video stores shows many titles available only on VCDs. If not for the article, I would not have looked deeper to find the sparse titles available on DVD. The $9.90 trial offer was also unknown to most. This further enforces that little information about what Odex is doing actually reaches the anime community.
Moreover, the quality of Odex's releases are debatable. Many fans have commented that the quality of its subtitles are inconsistent between releases, tend to be inaccurate and contain numerous grammatical errors. Surely Odex, being a commercial entity, should have in place some quality control measures?
Finally, the reason why anime fans here perceive local releases to be of low quality is that they have benchmarks with which to make comparisons.
Take a look at ADV films (www.advfilms.com), from the US. Just from their site you can see that a wealth of information is given to viewers at a glance.
Podcasts, presence at anime conventions, et cetera - all these disseminate information to the anime community and helps keep the company connected to their customers.
From Internet reviews, ADV DVDs provide relatively good subtitles, passable dubs and a plethora of DVD extras. The first DVD of a series tends to come with series holder cases. All these encourage the customer to continue buying DVDs.
Another example closer to home would be Chuang Yi (www.chuangyi.com.sg), a local manga publisher. Again, you can see its site gives info on newest releases, as well as upcoming releases. Book release flyers are sent out to stores selling their books, to keep non-tech-savvy customers abreast of developments.
These are role models for Odex to look up to, and to see how they can improve. If it is unwilling to show change, this 'perception problem' will always remain.
Victor Heng Fuwen -
we need MORE!!
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want to quote this... this paragraph speaks magnitudes...Originally posted by Gordonator:I'm personally not a fan of anime, but this by far would be the most interesting anti-piracy drive because, for the first time, the original is perceived as being inferior to the pirated copies, as opposed to the norm where pirated usually means poor bootleg copies or bad camera jobs. -
After all those post in the strait times forum section, did Odex reply anything or even do something about it?
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Bloody hell.
This means war.
Will boycott the stupid company. -
any updates to this ??
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No, odex now like damm quiet.Originally posted by Sagara:any updates to this ??
For those that are hiding now can come out liao.
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i have already wrote some of their names in my black note book. guess they learnt their lesson.
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Why no news on their death!?Originally posted by Gordonator:i have already wrote some of their names in my black note book. guess they learnt their lesson. -
actually u get dl anime on torrent site as long it is not license outside japan. that mean the animes is still free for distributing and not out in store. u can safety dl from those fansub. once it license u dl at your own risk.
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Anyone know of any sites which is trustworthy enough to purchase Anime online? Is www.discountanimedvd.com a good place? Anyone bought from there before? Thanks for all replies.
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cos i wrote, "commit suicide in a far away place without anyone knowing."Originally posted by Xephone_xenon:Why no news on their death!? -
hmm example like:
bleach in jap anime now nt available episodes in singapore, are downloading them legal? cos i heard that companies have to buy the copyrights and distribution rights from the jap companies in seasons. e.g. episode 1-20+, etc.
i've been downloading even korean and japanese dramas all along, which are currently nt available in singapore even.
btw gordon, wad u write to ST? -
Originally posted by Gordonator:
i think i know this guy. lol
some letters published in the straits times.
[b]Odex should harness the Internet to distribute its wares
I REFER to the report, 'Getting anime illegally online? Beware' (ST, June 1).
I was slightly amused when I read the report as it appeared to be a fantastic PR opportunity for Odex to raise awareness about its core business in distributing anime in Singapore.
More importantly, I was amused by the fact that Odex, besides having to contend with the issue of piracy, was conceding the fact that the 'pirates' or 'fansubbers' are actually doing a better job than them in providing the 'consumers' with a product they wanted, according to the perception of the consuming public.
Judging from the sentiments as expressed on online forums such as Hardwarezone and VR-Zone, it appears to me, a third-party observer, that the consumers don't mind paying for their anime, but are unwilling to do so for low-quality versions of it and are quite adamant about their non-support of Odex's products because of the particular 'perception problem', as mentioned by Odex spokesman Stephen Sing.
I'm personally not a fan of anime, but this by far would be the most interesting anti-piracy drive because, for the first time, the original is perceived as being inferior to the pirated copies, as opposed to the norm where pirated usually means poor bootleg copies or bad camera jobs.
A possible solution would be to create an online distribution channel and allow fansubbers to do the subtitling in exchange for a commission, in what could potentially be a win-win-win situation for the fansubbers, the consumers and Odex.
If Odex is able to provide cheap bundle deals of three DVDs for $9.90 inclusive of costs such as packaging and cost of producing the discs, I'm certain it would be able to offer a much more competitive pricing by harnessing the Internet's advantage of near-zero distribution cost.
It would require a total rethink in the business strategy, distribution and perhaps even require it to re-negotiate the distribution agreement it has.
Having said that, I suppose it is much easier for it to just scare people by sending out warning letters and issuing a press release to strike fear.
It would be much better if Odex could seek the opinions of fans and come up with a solution that works instead of simply trying to force the law upon the same group of people they expect to be their loyal buyers.
Wang Hongjun[/b] -
Guys!!! I need help here!!!
I just recieved the Odex letter.
They ask me go down to discuss with them with a view to resolve the matter before they instruct their lawyers to sue us.
So i just go down or?
If you have recieved the letter or has friends that had.
Please pm me for MSN. I want to know the exact discussion details. -
8 pages of reply.
this shows just how often you people download anime.