Death Note download rights licensed by Viz Media

[GHDpro]

Press release: http://www.animeondvd.com/news/pr.php?pr_view=915

Oddly one of the companies that listens to fans the least (many rank Viz Media among the "bad" studios that don't do things "properly", including not translating opening and ending songs, overlays and having insanely slow release schedules for pretty long series like Full Moon wo Sagashite) is trying to please the fansub downloader... or so it seems, as they've secured the download rights to Death Note. They probably have the DVD rights too, but that's not specifically mentioned.

Anyway, feel free to discuss this topic in this thread. And as always, any discussions about where to download the Death Note anime are no longer allowed as of now.

[the.Merines]

I found it strange that Viz Media should choose this route. Rather than come out and simply announce the license acquisition, they make a point to push a specific way for fans to get access to the Death Note anime. I don't know whether this is a jab/olive branch extended specifically towards fansub downloaders, or if Viz really thinks that having "Download to Own" or "Download to Rent" rights is their own (legal) alternative to fansubbed episodes.

I think the success of this method of distribution will be based on a lot of things, several of which I doubt Viz will do much about. Personally, I'll be waiting for the DVD releases to begin (which will probably take months). I don't like the idea of paying for data.

Also, at first I assumed that the legal downloads would be subbed, but there is no guarantee of that. Imagine the outcry if only dubbed episodes were released though this online process...

[Rahan]

Originally Posted by GHDpro

Press release: http://www.animeondvd.com/news/pr.php?pr_view=915

Oddly one of the companies that listens to fans the least [...]|b]is trying to please the fansub downloader[/b]... or so it seems, as they've secured the download rights to Death Note. They probably have the DVD rights too, but that's not specifically mentioned.

They are not trying to please the fansub downloaders, they are buying the authority to sue the fansubbers and the certainty to "win" the trial.

[bayoab]

Originally Posted by Rahan

They are not trying to please the fansub downloaders, they are buying the authority to sue the fansubbers and the certainty to "win" the trial.

If they wanted to sue subbers (who continued after licensing), they wouldn't even need these rights and they would win. This argument is vacuous.

[atilim]

Either way there motive isn't to please fansub downloader, a lot of people won't be able to watch because it will only be available at the US.

[/QUOTE]We are pleased to team with a leading anime and manga company like VIZ Media to bring the DEATH NOTE anime series to eager fans in the United States digitally,” states NTV Spokesperson. “VIZ Media understands how the Internet can be used to distribute content. With a built-in fan base already generated by the popularity of the DEATH NOTE manga series, we are looking forward to the success of this innovative partnership.[/QUOTE]

So either way somebody outside wouldn't be able to get his hands on Death Note, and for a country like Holland were the closest thing to a anime is pokemon meens that I won't be able to watch this show.

Also I would like to ask GHDpro ho I see also comes from Holland if he knows any decent and legit way too still watch this show.

[VRMN]

Originally Posted by atilim

Either way there motive isn't to please fansub downloader, a lot of people won't be able to watch because it will only be available at the US.

So either way somebody outside wouldn't be able to get his hands on Death Note, and for a country like Holland were the closest thing to a anime is pokemon meens that I won't be able to watch this show.

Also I would like to ask GHDpro ho I see also comes from Holland if he knows any decent and legit way too still watch this show.

Personally, I'd be surprised if Viz tried to make it so you couldn't download it outside of the United States.

The only real way I can see them sucessfully doing so is if they require you to have a U.S. credit card. If they did so, that's basically throwing away money from the international anime watching community...which is something I don't see them doing.

[atilim]

I'm become 19 a couple of month's ago, I still go to school and can't work properly because of internship wich doesn't pay very well. Also taking other cost like for example paying for school and driving lessons I don't have much money left.
Also taking creditcards isn't much populair in Holland

[VRMN]

How did you expect to buy anything on the Internet without a credit card? I mean, PayPal maybe, but, really, credit/debit cards are the de facto standard for online purchases.

I understand that other purchases can (and should) take priority over entertainment purchases, but "I'm going to have trouble paying for it" isn't a reason to steal it (which is what it would be now that it's licensed, like it or not).

[GHDpro]

Fansubs are a form of copyright infringement, whether the series is licensed or not. For a series to be licensed in a English speaking territory merely makes it more likely for English language websites to get into trouble for listing/hosting such fansubs, plus there is the whole moral/ethical issue regarding the original purpose of fansubs.

Anyway, apart from simply ignoring license status and finding fansubs of it elsewhere (something that AnimeSuki does not allow to be discussed in detail and does not officially approve of), I don't think you'll be able to get it in Holland any time soon. You could bypass country rules or crack DRM or whatnot... but it wouldn't be any different from just getting the "illegal" fansub, IMHO.

The real problem with this might be though that I fear the downloads may have some absurd DRM rules attached to them (like only play a few times or on few devices) or are low quality compared even to fansubs, or are simply expensive (like $4.99 per episode), or all of the above. As I mention in my post, Viz Media isn't exactly known to be a fan pleaser, they like to do things their own way even if it pisses everyone off.

As for getting a creditcard in Holland... easy. If you have an account at the Postbank, you open a student account and you can get a creditcard with it. That's how I've had my creditcard for years now (even though I don't really have enough income to qualify for a creditcard otherwise). Creditcards may not be popular here, but they're essential if you want to shop online.

[chaos_alfa]

What if you're not in the US?
While a large part of the visitors of AnimeSuki are from the US and Canada, not all of them are of course. Those people might be thinking: "If anime is licensed in the US, what has that to do with me? Why stop fansubbing? Why remove it from AnimeSuki?". AnimeSuki's view on this is that the US is the largest market for English subbed and dubbed anime, therefore once anime is licensed in the US all English fansubbing of it should stop.

If you're not from the US, this means you can still download non-English fansubs of the same series (if it's not licensed in your region as well). Alternatively you could also import the DVDs when they are released in the US. It is not expensive to do so if you order directly from online DVD shops in the US. You will need a region free DVD player of course, but even those are easy to get - just ask around or check out The Firmware Page to make your DVD-ROM drive region free.

Source:
http://www.animesuki.com/doc.php/licensed/

P.S. i'm from Holland to

[GHDpro]

Originally Posted by chaos_alfa

If you're not from the US, this means you can still download non-English fansubs of the same series (if it's not licensed in your region as well). Alternatively you could also import the DVDs when they are released in the US. It is not expensive to do so if you order directly from online DVD shops in the US. You will need a region free DVD player of course, but even those are easy to get - just ask around or check out The Firmware Page to make your DVD-ROM drive region free.

Nice, but notice how it says non-English fansubs there. And I can't think of ever seeing a Dutch fansub, ever (there probably exist a few, but they're quite rare). You could of course still get the German, French or Spanish fansubs, but er... I'm real bad at reading subtitles in any language other than Dutch or English, like most Dutch people.

Importing the DVDs isn't really an option either in this case, as a US DVD release is some time off (the press release talks about legal downloads, which may be country locked if for example they use something like iTunes Movie Store or require a US creditcard or something) and a Japanese DVD release would be quite expensive to buy (and you still need to hunt for subtitles to be able to understand anything).

[Sookan]

Personally, I take it as a great loss that the series has been licensed, and to add insult to injury, by Viz Media.
Of course they're only trying to make money. That's the way the world is. They're not buying the license to convenience anybody or provide even a half decent service for your money.
I'm from the UK, so while I could download it subbed in dutch/swedish/whatever, I wouldn't be able to understand it and would probably have more luck just watching the RAW -.-.
I don't plan on publicising what I'm going to do from now on, but I must say that now my two favourite fansubbers are no longer subbing the series, I'm going to be very resentful of doing it.

[atilim]

GHDpro taking a creditcard wouldn't make me loved by my parents though, especially for buying things like dvd's.
Also Death Nothe will be DRM for USA only because the say ''eager fans in the United States digitally'', so we woudn't be able to watch it any way.

[bayoab]

Originally Posted by atilim

GHDpro taking a creditcard wouldn't make me loved by my parents though, especially for buying things like dvd's.
Also Death Nothe will be DRM for USA only because the say ''eager fans in the United States digitally'', so we woudn't be able to watch it any way.

Actually, it might not be DRM'd for the US but just only available for purchase by US people. We don't know anything about the DRM scheme yet so this is all pointless speculation.

Also from the other thread, the reason DVDs probably aren't announced yet is they are probably still 8+ months away and therefore they do not want to announce anything until they get closer. There is no way they are not going to sell DVDs of this series.

[v1cious]

this could really stir up controversy among the fansub community. i personally hope a lot of companies jump on this idea. my only concern is the prices, will they be reasonable?

[M.D. Geist]

i hope the german subs are decent enough... Will take some time for "us" to license DNote ... (well anime market in germany is a joke ... worst example of how to ruin a hit series is Naruto )

[Ama no Kagaseo]

Personally, I can't help but feel a little irritated. It feels like rather than Viz being the leader in.. Whatever the hell they said at AnimeOnDVD. It feels more like they're the leader in absolutely screwing an anime over, as well as the community.

And considering how 'piracy' politics have been going? I wouldn't be surprised if they did this JUST to find an easier way to start destroying the fansubbing community, because let's face it. Because someone is getting it for free, even if they haven't secured the rights to it, some how they think they're still losing money.

This, of course, is just a general statement.

I don't know, of course, and my statements may be incorrect and misguided. I'm still a rather big newbie when it comes to these things. I've known I liked anime since I was little [ I watched My Neighbor Totoro when I was five.] but at the same time I've only known anime as in the movies and series, and never looked at the studios and companies behind it.

Of course, this also applies to the politics of the internet, I'm still a newbie and still learning. Viz, over time, has just made me bitter. e.e

[guest]

I hope Viz can do this as "fansubbing" style, that is, getting it out in a few days after airing in Japan, only sub version, and having reasonable price. If quality is not as good as dvd, I don't mind. If they are going to do a dub version for download, that would make this fast pace impossible. In that case, this "download your anime" business might not work. They can just do dub version for dvd.

I think it is not possible for them to limit download in US only. They will have to release them to the global community or, well, it will be hard to kill off piracy as they migh have hope.

[Zu Ra]

Its ironical in a way Deat Note's immense Popularity led to its demise . If it was any other anime Viz wouldnt have blocked fansubbing . I know lot many people who started subscribing to fansubs and actually downloading anime after DT started airing

[Z0Rr0rex]

It's all clear to me. Viz media shall create a website where people will be able to watch the Death Note episodes streamed, like in youtube or crunchyroll.

You'll have to register, be bombarded with a barrage of ads, watch it in its crappiest form for free, or pay them some dough and watch it fullscreen on a higher resolution.

You will not be able to download it though, that's for sure.