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| DarkZero 302th Post
 
Bronze Customer
 
    
|  "Re(1):Wanting cases of anime clubs in legal t"
, posted Sun 14 Sep 11:33
I can't think of any companies that have taken legal action against anime clubs, but I think it's worth noting that if you're showing unlicensed anime, you're breaking the ridiculous copyright laws of the United States anyway and often opening yourself up to prosecution from Japanese companies with American subsidiaries (Bandai, for instance) or North American anime financiers such as ADV, Pioneer, and Cartoon Network.
In short, show whatever the Hell you want. If you're really THAT concerned with protecting yourself, just stick to anime from older companies. Chances are that ADV, Pioneer, Central Park Media, and Bandai aren't going to sue the anime clubs that gave them their lifeblood while they were just starting out. Synch-Point, Tokyopop, and other anime companies that haven't been around for five or six years and just got in durign the gold rush might react differently.
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| Radish 1669th Post
Tailored Carpet V.I.P- Platinum Member
 
    
    
  
| "Re(2):Wanting cases of anime clubs in legal t" , posted Sun 14 Sep 18:49:
quote:
I can't think of any companies that have taken legal action against anime clubs, but I think it's worth noting that if you're showing unlicensed anime, you're breaking the ridiculous copyright laws of the United States anyway and often opening yourself up to prosecution from Japanese companies with American subsidiaries (Bandai, for instance) or North American anime financiers such as ADV, Pioneer, and Cartoon Network.
In short, show whatever the Hell you want. If you're really THAT concerned with protecting yourself, just stick to anime from older companies. Chances are that ADV, Pioneer, Central Park Media, and Bandai aren't going to sue the anime clubs that gave them their lifeblood while they were just starting out. Synch-Point, Tokyopop, and other anime companies that haven't been around for five or six years and just got in durign the gold rush might react differently.
Just as an aside I was this close to getting the hell sued out of me for having a small private movie server in college. Some kid ratted me out to his dad who worked for Sony. Luckily I had gotten bored with hosting it before they really started caring.
All it takes is one whiney bitch to get you in trouble.
EDIT: They prolly wouldn't have been able to do anything because there was like, one movie that was domestically produced, but it's still agrivation you don't need. If you're in a club just make the members pay some dues and buy legit DVDs with the money, or get some financing from college. My friend started a film club and was getting a decent amount to finance their collection.
[this message was edited by Radish on Sun 14 Sep 18:53] |
| OmegaDog 775th Post
Red Carpet Regular Member+
| "Re(3):Wanting cases of anime clubs in legal t" , posted Sun 14 Sep 20:56:
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EDIT: They prolly wouldn't have been able to do anything because there was like, one movie that was domestically produced, but it's still agrivation you don't need. If you're in a club just make the members pay some dues and buy legit DVDs with the money, or get some financing from college. My friend started a film club and was getting a decent amount to finance their collection.
That's the smartest thing I've heard all day!
Yes, it is a good idea to buy legit DVDs with regards to a library from which people could check out stuff -- that's what we're doing for the club.
With regards to what we're showing, though -- wouldn't showing domestic DVDs come with the problem that the DVD usage here is legally restricted to private viewing? I don't know how much better it is, really, compared to showing fansubs of domestically-licensed material.
At the same time, there are DarkZero's comments to consider...
... dammit, just this issue is causing anxiety, which I don't need when I'm trying to finish up my final year of college. The "ratter" could come in the form of a rival anime club here at the same university (where the problems are rooted long before I ever came to be an officer). I've been trying to keep relations between the two anime club calm, being friends with members of both anime clubs (though contact has been light lately). And, it doesn't help that one of our officers seems to only add fuel to the fire -- make that kerosene. (For the record, they show licensed stuff too -- but we're much larger.) Furthermore, we've got the state's anime convention this Friday, with anime distributor reps coming to the con, and the other anime club does much more volunteer work than our club at the con...
... and now our own anime club officers are saying that the worst the anime club companies would do is say "stop showing our series." Maybe I'm being paranoid, but I doubt, if they caught word, that's all they'll do.
... dammit, there are times when I wish I could just say "I want out."
"I'll punish you with my burning fist of justice!!" | CCT: NEXT STAGE IS 14 |
[this message was edited by OmegaDog on Sun 14 Sep 21:17] |
| DarkZero 305th Post
Bronze Customer
| "Re(2):riding your topic. question on amvs" , posted Sun 14 Sep 22:30:
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Just as an aside I was this close to getting the hell sued out of me for having a small private movie server in college. Some kid ratted me out to his dad who worked for Sony. Luckily I had gotten bored with hosting it before they really started caring.
All it takes is one whiney bitch to get you in trouble.
No, it does not. It only takes one whiny bitch to get you in trouble if you're infringing on the copyrights of an evil Hellbeast of a company like Sony, which regularly sues everyone they can find and is a member of the MPAA, an organization almost as hateful and litigious as the RIAA. You infringed on the copyrights of a company that has a history of suing people. OmegaDog would be infringing on the copyrights of people that JUST DON'T CARE and have never sued anyone for running an anime club, EVER. There's a huge difference there.
Now, as for the topic as a whole, let me put this more concisely, because I think I've spent enough time reading about copyright issues to know what I'm talking about. Copyrights are not a matter of criminal enforcement. It's not like owning an illegal weapon or speeding or some such, where if a cop sees it, he has to act upon it and jail your ass. Copyrights are a matter of civil enforcement. In practice, what matters isn't if you're infringing upon someone's copyrights, but rather if that person gives a damn about it. If you ifringe upon someone's copyrights and they don't care, then you're not really doing anything wrong.
ADV, CPM, Bandai, Pioneer, and other older anime companies have shown that they don't give a damn about anime clubs. They support them with promotional material and DVDs, they openly thank them for what they've done for the industry, and they have NEVER sued an anime club. EVER. So you're probably fine showing licensed anime, as long as you buy legitimate DVDs. I had assumed earlier that you meant you were buying legitimate ones, because while they don't care if infringe upon the area of copyrights that says "no public displays", they certainly care about the area of copyrights that says "you have to buy the product and not just download it off the web".
What the rival anime club is telling you to do is absolutely fine. I can't stress that enough. Anime clubs all across the nation are showing legitimate DVDs to the public. It's a blatant violation of copyright law, but as long as no one cares, it's fine. You're really just being paranoid and your paranoia doesn't even make sense. You're blatantly violating copyright law by displaying fansubs anyway, so displaying legitimate DVDs doesn't change your situation at all. There are still copyright owners in the United States that can sue you for showing fansubs, but DON'T, just like the copyright owners of the legitimate DVDs don't.
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With regards to what we're showing, though -- wouldn't showing domestic DVDs come with the problem that the DVD usage here is legally restricted to private viewing? I don't know how much better it is, really, compared to showing fansubs of domestically-licensed material.
It's better because no one wants to sue you for it, which is the key factor in copyright law. Most anime companies would consider suing you for showing fansubs of domestically licensed anime to the public, because it breaks the general rule of "pay us for what we sell, don't just download it off the web". They would not consider suing you for showing legitimate DVDs that you've bought to the public. It seems like a small distinction, but it's really the only thing that matters when it comes to copyright law.
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No way. I used to work in the AV center of my college and we were always showing stuff to either clubs or classes. I've never heard of a law saying that you had to have a license to show a movie to a club. Even if there was one, the company would have to be an incredible bunch of assholes to go after you and anything they won in court would be negated by the bad publicity they would recieve from such an action.
Oh yes, there definitely is. Bars, including karaoke bars, actually have to pay royalties to the RIAA just to play "I'm Proud To Be An American" (ironic!). If a company has a system for demanding royalties for public display and you don't pay them, then you could be sued by them and they will definitely win in court. However, I don't know of any anime companies that demand royalties, so once again, it's a matter of "If they've shown that they don't want to sue you, you're fine".
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sorry to temporarily change the subject, but i don't feel like starting another thread. do you or anyone else know or have an educated guess on how anime music videos are dealt with legally? i checked around a few places and didn't find much info
Anime music videos are an obvious breach of copyright law, just like 90% of the other things that people do with their entertainment in every first world nation. I'm not sure if anyone has actually sued over them yet, but I don't think they have. You are more likely to be sued for an AMV though, because they often infringe on the copyrights of the insanely litigious RIAA, even though the anime companies don't usually care.
[this message was edited by DarkZero on Sun 14 Sep 22:34] |
| Juke Joint Jezebel 2266th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
  
|  "Re(2):riding your topic. question on amvs"
, posted Sun 14 Sep 22:30:
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Anime music videos are an obvious breach of copyright law, just like 90% of the other things that people do with their entertainment in every first world nation. I'm not sure if anyone has actually sued over them yet, but I don't think they have. You are more likely to be sued for an AMV though, because they often infringe on the copyrights of the insanely litigious RIAA, even though the anime companies don't usually care.
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Heh heh heh -- actually, truth be told, I don't. ^_^; I would imagine the RIAA doesn't much appreciate usage and broadcast of copyrighted songs -- but otherwise, the anime convention has hosted AMV contests every year with the anime distribution reps being there, and there's been no problem. Of course, I don't imagine they have a problem with only clips of anime, as opposed to entire episodes without permission.
no prob, you guys gave me the answers i was looking for. anyways, i'd imagine that the RIAA is too ignorant to even know that amvs exist. we'll give 'em a few years to catch up
Sex Drugs God Cash Sex Drugs God America
[this message was edited by Juke Joint Jezebel on Sun 14 Sep 22:33] |
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They prolly wouldn't have been able to do anything because there was like, one movie that was domestically produced, but it's still agrivation you don't need. If you're in a club just make the members pay some dues and buy legit DVDs with the money, or get some financing from college. My friend started a film club and was getting a decent amount to finance their collection. 
