As anime importer Odex continues to crack down on illegal downloaders, anime fans are sending, calling, and threatening Odex employees or anyone related to the crackdown on anime piracy. I neither condone Odex's business practices (cheap-quality anime) or fan's actions (violence, threats of physical violence) but one thing is certain: everyone needs to put up, in some cases shut up and think a little bit.
Anime piracy is defined as going online through the internet and illegally obtaining (downloading) copywrighted material for viewing. My personal views on the issue are that illegal downloading is wrong and hurts the anime industry as a whole. I do not condone Odex's actions or policies, but the real firms getting hurt here are the producers of anime. This is a technologically advanced time where the internet is quickly becoming the ultimate tool for mankind. The real firms making these productions are hurt in the sales department and although they do make a lot of money: illegal downloaders are technically stealing. If the mentality is "they have enough money" then everyone will do it. When that is so, we will begin to see a decline in the industry and either 1) a lack of high quality anime or 2) anime all-together.
When I was younger I had no wide access to anime. I had little money and little patience for a lack of availability in stores. I changed my fate and got a job, then began to purchase anime for my viewing pleasure. In the idea of capitalism, you buy something at a higher price than what something was created for. To further expand on this: anime producers are story tellers. They have an amazing story to tell: but put it to market for the hopes that it will sell and make money. By pirating you are taking that money away from future productions, donations or wherever the money goes.
So what about the downloaders? they do it for two reasons. They pirate the anime because the pirated versions are of better quality than the only distributor in their area and/or 2) they have no access to anime. I say go do something about it if you are that dead set about good quality anime. Complain to Odex sure but complain to the producers of anime as well that you do not approve of Odex's quality. In fact start you're own importing business and run Odex out of Singapore. It's not that I don't care because I am American and this is 10,000 miles away, it's that downloading copywrighted material is an offense and a crime. I understand if anime has not yet been officially liscenced and you want to download episodes that were fandubbed. That's fine, but even if you keep the episodes please go out and when available and buy the official product, or delete the files. I sure like my anime high quality and I can barely stand downloaded material. Once Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni was licensed by Geneon and brought to America officially, I got rid of all access to the fansubs in honor of the industry. I will do the same thing with Higurashi Kai: because I want them to bring it over to the USA in high quality.
When you love something this much: you not only go after it with any means necessary: you support it, and support it for the future. If you want new (and more) anime, stop the downloading and support the industry. I didn't tell you to go buy from Odex: I told you to go buy anime. Nothing is free in life.
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