The catchiness of the Shinkenger OP/ED aside, I'm actually going to do a serious post for once. And it concerns one of my important hobbies...

And that is downloading my Asian TV shows, music and manga. What the media industry terms as copyright infringement.

I've been paying a lot more attention to the issue recently, after an incident last weekend over on TV-Nihon (who sub all my beloved toku~) where people were recieving DMCA notices from BayISP on behalf of Toei for downloading Shinkenger and Kamen Rider W (the only two shows that were hit so far). I kind of stopped downloading from torrents on TV-Nihon since then and have been sticking mainly to DL links seeing as they're "less traceable". However, it seemed like the people recieving these notices were mostly located in the US and Canada, but I could never be too sure.

Now, due to boredom at work, I've been browsing the news websites more often and found that one of the ISP providers here in Australia, iiNet, are currently in a court case with the AFACT (Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft) where they've been accused of 'assisting' with the downloading and distribution of illegal content, as well as neglecting to disconnect users the AFACT have alleged are illegally downloading content from the net. From what comments I've read, it seems most people are against the idea of the AFACT trying to force the ISPs to act on their 'allegations' to disconnect users, as well as actively monitor the content their users download (which is technically impossible as the internet practically changes everyday and when you have thousands and thousands of users... you probably get the picture). If the AFACT win the case, then this would change how ISPs view copyright infringement and as such, would become responsible for their users downloads and be obligated to terminate their contracts based on these allegations by the AFACT. It's kind of scary to think that there are organisations out there trying to spy on what you download. P2P has always been a double edged sword because it exposes your IP to everyone - easy for these copyright police organisations to track you down. Ironically though, it seems more people have learnt about torrents since the case hit the news and more are downloading than before.

Now, most have probably seen the argument the copyright industry use for their fight against piracy - they lose billions in profit every year due to piracy. And most counter that argument by saying that that claim is a total lie. Most people wouldn't buy the stuff they download in the first place. I know I wouldn't be buying Arashi CDs or Kamen Rider toys if I didn't download their shows and music first. And back with the DMCA notices to people downloading the TV-Nihon subs, I find it ironic that they attack a fanbase that wouldn't even exist in the first place if it weren't for the fansubs. This pretty much goes with all fansubs, be it anime or J-dramas. I'm not sure if it was late last year or earlier this year, but most people would remember JE's 'great mass deletion of Arashi videos' off Youtube. I think, along with most fans, that that was a stupid move by JE. Since moving more into the D-Boys fandom, I have been becoming more impressed with the way they run things. They actually use Youtube to promote their new materials. Now why won't JE do that? What harm would there be in allowing people to watch snippets of shows or PVs on the site, which leads them to become obsessed with the group and spend loads of cash on them? (I find it hard to believe that JE would be making a big loss with all the merchandising they have). Remember the rapper girl on Utaban who liked the Tunnels dude (sorry, forgot his name, lol) because she saw his skits on Youtube? I'm not too in tune with what the western media industry is using Youtube for, but I know they are starting to offer pay-to-view content. At least that is something of a step forward in the right direction. Don't know about the price though.

Now, another reason people download illegal content - the price. Illegal content is free. Who doesn't like something free? Especially when the legal version is heavily overpriced? Perhaps if they bring the price down, people would be more inclined to buy the legal versions. I know I would probably buy more DVDs if they were in the $5-$10 range rather than download them because in my opinion, I think downloading takes more effort than just buying the DVD/CD. This is one reason I almost always buy the legal copies of Thai VCDs and CDs - they're cheap. Around 200 baht (~A$7) for a karaoke CD or movie, and manga translated into Thai ranges from 40 to 60 baht a volume, depending on the size. That's roughly A$2 a volume compared to A$16 if I were to get the same in English! Sure, the paper quality is like newspaper and there are typos here and there, but its good enough for me. I usually only read manga once anyway so being made to pay $16 dollars for one makes me feel robbed. DVDs are still expensive though, and that's mostly because they're trying to reflect the price of DVDs everywhere, hence why VCDs are still the preferred format there.

I think the companies that are backing this war against copyright infringment are making the wrong moves and have forgetten the drivers behind consumer purchases. Consumers want a good deal and not feel ripped off. The companies distributing these materials legally just want to make their bank accounts fatter than ever. Things like region locking only frustrates people who want to watch overseas material (or play their games - there are a couple of Japanese games I want to play on the Wii and I'm looking at trying to make it region free somehow). If the companies were smart, they should actually start embracing the internet and using it more than they do. I hear there's a site where you can watch the latest Naruto episodes subbed which is run by the distributers and I think its ad-driven. Seeing how many Naruto fans are out there, I bet they make quite a bit. Other companies could do the same - host their content streaming and then if you want a copy, offer a paying option to download. But don't over-price because it would discourage people to buy the legal copy again.

What do the people, who share the original illegal copies, get in doing so anyway? Absoulutely nothing (except for some 'internet fame' and people thanking them like they're gods - I have a little gripe with people who try to force people to leave a comment when downloading, but that's another rant for another day *wink*), and they've probably lost some money and time in the process anyway. So why waste more time trying to stop them when the companies could be coming up with new ways to actually create some real money and not what they claim is being lost through priracy?

If anyone managed to read this essay of sorts, I'd be glad to hear your opinions~ ^__^

• 2008 AAA Kokuritsu Concert Uchiwas (Jun. Nino, Aiba, Sho, Ohno) - A$25 each
• Switch Vol. 27 No.4 feat. an interview about Arashi's 10th year anniversary (flipped through once) - A$7
• Believe/Kumori Nochi, Kaisei RE Single (still in original plastic) - A$10 SOLD
• Arashi is Alive Photobook incl. Remarkable CD (flipped though several times, but still in good condition)- A$45 SOLD

• All prices listed above are excluding shipping.
• Items will be shipped from Australia and I will ship to anywhere in the world.
• I will only accept payments through Paypal. Once the order has been confirmed, I will send a request for payment which must be paid within three (3) days.

• It's been a while since I last made a post in my blog... Have actually been saving up a post for a KR picspam, but I'll just do that spam when I get the time ^_^
• I seriously want this KR Kiva SIC figure. The violin totally sold me away. And Emperor form is just as awesome. But I just bought the Zeronos/Deneb figures... (which are on their way to me now. Yay!) I also wish there was a Wing Form/Sieg set of SICs. They would be so pretty~
• I haven't been in much of a mood to continue my Arashi fic lately. Blame KR Kiva for that <_<
• I've created a bishie list in my sidebar. Takeda Kouhei tops the list at the moment because of his acting as Otoya from Kiva and a character from Tadashii Ouji no Tsukurikatta I just call "Keitai Nerd" XD I seriously need to make a gif of "Keitai Nerd"  XDXD
• I want to see Wangan Midnight with Channaka's fake driving~ Plus the guy who plays his rival is KR Drake from Kabuto <3
• Decided to try and give Futasu no Spica another go, but only managed to watch 10 minutes of episode 2. Channaka is so cute there though.
• Continuously praying that I'll win the tickets to the Nagoya con. *shudders at the prices on ticket.co.jp*
• IXA-cise is the most crack-tastic song out there XD And Kato Keisuke's character in Kiva spelling out his name in numbers~ "Na(7)-Go(5)-San(3)! Nago-san!" XDXDXD
• I'm working on my own KR story now. And a Den-O crossover with Arashi~
• D-boys are cute~ I think I'm falling for another fandom... *sigh*
• A little old, but seeing Yoko cry on TQS has scarred me for life. Whenever I see an actor/actress cry, I pray that they don't drool and snot all over the place T^T
• I'm finally graduating in September! Yay! (even though I've been working as a grad for nearly a year xD)
• I've made my way through six of the Hesei era KRs. Once I finish the Faiz movie, it's time for Agito! (Yay! Kaname Jun as a Kamen Rider!)
• Kendo is fun. I seriously want to become good at it.
• Japanese lessons begin this weekend, although I've been trying out the lessons in 'My Japanese Coach'. By the way, if you have an R4 card for your DS, "Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan!" is a must have. I absolutely love that game and the songs on it. Need to go and find a good quality mp3 of "Over the Distance" by Hitomi Yaida~
• Posting with bullet points allows me to cover so much XD