Re: Fansub Code of Ethics

Ken Arromdee wrote:
I'm comparing fansubs to American TV without commercials. American TV does
do exactly what the fansubs do--it shows the program immediately when it
comes out, without any delay in getting it to you.

I suppose that's one way of looking at it, but by that token, all television does the same thing as fansubs in some way. However, fansubs are providing the shows to places where they would not otherwise be available. I can't go out and see an English-subtitled episode of a show that aired in Japan last week pretty much anywhere "legitimately". It's just not available.

By your reasoning you'd throw a few bucks the way of the American companies,
which in this case means watching commercials.

But they don't make any money by me watching commercials. There is no link between my eyes on that commercial and them getting paid. They are paid exactly the same amount of money whether I watch or not. In fact, they have no way of knowing if *ANYONE* is watching the commercials, they can only tell what particular show is on your television at the time, for all they know, you left the TV on and went in the other room and aren't even watching the show.

I just don't understand why you think paying the companies is ethically
required for fansubs but strictly optional for American television.

I never said that paying anyone for anything is ethically required. The same situation applies to fansubs as does to American television. In Japan, the shows have already been paid for by advertising, just as they are in America. We'll stick to the American model because it's a little more familiar, but advertisers pay to have their commercials put on during the shows. It's a pay-for-placement proposition that does not obligate *ANYONE* to actually watch the commercials, the advertisers are hoping that a portion of the people who do watch the commercials will buy their products, that's why they're advertising in the first place. They're paying for the OPPORTUNITY to put their product before the eyes of willing consumers. They are not paying to have my eyes, in particular, on their product, otherwise they'd need to be paying me directly, not the television station.

Again, American TV does give you shows immediately. Sometimes even online.
Yet, you don't give them your business.

I could, easily, it's simply easier to download everything to watch when it's convenient to me. The same is true of people with TIVO, they're archiving for later viewing and probably skipping through the commercials as well. I watch things on *MY* schedule, not on theirs, sorry. Welcome to reality.
.

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