Unlicensed Anime: Can you download it?

[Saint Kevin]

I've been wondering for a while now about the legalities of, um, obtaining anime over the internet. I'm against piracy (totally recent development, you can thank the Lord for that one) and am concerned that I might break a law or two, or perhaps hurt those in the anime industry who are just trying to create a good product. So anyway, here are my questions:

Can you download unlicensed anime legally?
How does that work, aren't you violating copyright laws or something?
What about fansubbed anime that is licensed, can you download that legally?

Questions of legalities aside, do creators of anime get hurt when you download their stuff over the internet?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

[wiggins]

Legality of Unlicensed anime: gray area... often depends on where you live. If you live in the U.S., definitely no. Not in the uk either; none of the conuntries wich signed the Berne Convention. This is my opinion only and you don't have to follo w it, but I made a thread called "Stuff. It's a lot to read, I know, but please bear with me." I know it's alot to read, and not all of it pertains to your questions, but read it as I think I address most of your questions there and have links there to a website which makes it pretty clear. I think the site is fairly reliable. I'll post it again. The link is... http://www.fansubs.info/fanfaq.php?view=legality
Fansubbed anime that is licensed is definitely illegal as far as I know.
As to your last question, I don't know. E-mail them if you really want to know... I'm not them. Anyhow. Read my thread... and it details my own battle with fansubs and scanslations. It is alot as I said before, but bear with it and check it out. I think it should answer most of your questions especially when viewed together with the above link. If you don't want to read through my post, the actual legal stuff is in the link I posted above... I know I am wordy. Sorry, I am typing in a rush and... yeah. OK, I hope that helps.

[Minawa]

I dont think your hurting any body if you download unlicensed anime, since it is not being sold for a profit by any body yet.
but if you download licensed anime your not only hurting the american companies like ADV and Pioneer, but also the creators of the shows who would get royalties from a shows succes in america, not to mention that it's illegal.
once a show has been licensed the fansubs are suposed to stop, other wise they are illegal.
since most unlicensed fansubs are shown for free on Japanese TV any way, I dont feel that downloading them is doing anything wronge.
Thats just my thoughts on the subject.

[Debitt]

Downloading licensed anime is a definite no in my book (I still need to delete some of the Saiyuki eps I have on my computer. ._. but I personally see nothing wrong with downloading unliscensed anime. In fact, it could actually bring money in to whoever profits from the sales of soundtracks and imported goods because they have one more person to make money off of.

[Saint Kevin]

Cool, that helped a lot Wiggins. That even gave me the final nudge I needed in the right direction to delete my anime mp3's and sheet music as well. Oh BTW, I would burn your fansubs...hehe, fire's cool, hehe. Seriously tho thanks a lot.
Also my view now on the unlicensed anime is that I should only download it with author's permission. Even if it doesn't really harm them financially.

[shooraijin]

This was a good thread that was on this very subject not too long ago.

http://www.christiananime.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1871

[Saint Kevin]

Thanks for digging that up Shooby...you, uh, don't mind me calling you shooby, do you?

[wiggins]

Cool, that helped a lot Wiggins. That even gave me the final nudge I needed in the right direction to delete my anime mp3's and sheet music as well. Oh BTW, I would burn your fansubs...hehe, fire's cool, hehe. Seriously tho thanks a lot.
Also my view now on the unlicensed anime is that I should only download it with author's permission. Even if it doesn't really harm them financially.

Your welcome... and thank you too, because you just hjelped me realized the same applies to the Christian music I burned off the library and my youth group...