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NEWS: Retailer to Stop Imports of Funimation BD/DVDs into Japan

Kakugo wrote:

There are laws against reselling imports, even in the US, should the local distributor issue a request for said seller to stop. For a relevant similar example, HK Flix stocks the extended versions of the John Woo movie Hard Boiled, but because The Weinstein Company owns exclusive distribution rights in North America, HK Flix can only sell those extended releases to other regions.

It still takes money out of FUNi's bank account to tell an online site to stop selling their product. Why should they care?

hikaru004 wrote:

Kakugo wrote: There are laws against reselling imports, even in the US, should the local distributor issue a request for said seller to stop. For a relevant similar example, HK Flix stocks the extended versions of the John Woo movie Hard Boiled, but because The Weinstein Company owns exclusive distribution rights in North America, HK Flix can only sell those extended releases to other regions. It still takes money out of FUNi's bank account to tell an online site to stop selling their product. Why should they care?

Cos it BREACHES contracts with the Anime owners in Japan. read my first post again, it explains...

I do know Japanese people who watch English dubs and read English-translated manga to help them learn English so the market does exist. :p

For the sake of the numerous fans who wish to obtain hard copies of anime unavailable in their own region, one hopes such a prevention of exports is not one of Funimation's chief concerns.

I cannot believe that there could be any "cultural difference" in consumerism. A customer is going to recognize a better deal when they see one, regardless of where they were born.

It's only a breach when it's brought to your attention.

That sucks for Japanese fans. There's no way I'd pay Japanese prices if I were in Japan.

And Gundam Unicorn, haha. Bandai (Visual) doesn't learn.

Several FUNi titles - Dragon Ball Z, Shigurui, Witchblade, One Piece, Samurai 7 and others - don't have a Japanese Blu-ray release yet. That said, I don't see what they're "losing" if they don't offer the product locally to begin with.

Apparently it is, if they region code their Blu-Ray releases.

The first-sale doctrine is a limitation on copyright that was recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1908 (see Bobbs-Merrill Co. v. Straus) and subsequently codified in the Copyright Act of 1976, 17 U.S.C. § 109. The doctrine allows the purchaser to transfer (i.e., sell or give away) a particular lawfully made copy of the copyrighted work without permission once it has been obtained. This means that the copyright holder's rights to control the change of ownership of a particular copy end once that copy is sold, as long as no additional copies are made.

the company asserts that it controlled the software anyway because it had only "licensed" it to customers under specific terms that eliminated the right to resell the software.
...
Judge Jones ruled this week that Autodesk had in fact licensed its software, but that this was immaterial; what mattered was whether the license "transferred ownership" (more like buying a book) or was a "mere license" (more like renting a movie).

It still takes money out of FUNi's bank account to tell an online site to stop selling their product. Why should they care?

The waiting game is a losing game in my experience. I like to take advantage of this system and call it even. People in general seem to care more about convenience though; what about you guys? Hypothetically speaking, would you grab the lossy Innocence BD off of amazon.com or get the one with real HD audio from amazon.co.jp? I know I'd go the extra mile - if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right, right?

hikaru004 wrote:

And since when has a licensing agreement prevented R1 from buying R2 DVDs?

This has nothing to do with individuals importing R2 DVDs into R1 for personal use. A retailer was importing R1 DVDs into Japan for sale in Japan. FUNimation does not have a license to sell their product in Japan and is perfectly within their right (and may be obligated) to prohibit commercial sales in regions for which they cannot legally sell these titles.

Indeed, but remember Japan has a ton of series that hasn't been licensed into America. Considering how many series Japan has created and has licensed, this shouldn't be too damageing.

I'd say Japan has the better deal than America these days.

No, no. You missed what he said. A retailer was importing the discs into Japan, then selling them. Online retailers who sell merchandise everywhere, but can claim to be located elsewhere, are exempt from this, and buying and importing from them are legal. Apparently what was happening, was a Japanese retailer was ordering Funi sets in bulk from Fantasium, then selling them at a retail store in Japan. That is illegal. Especially considering that most (if not all) of their releases specifically say on them, for sale only in the United States and Mexico (maybe also Canada, I forget, and am too lazy to check). Selling online can count as being inside the intended retail market, but buying online then selling in a non-licensed market does not.

dewlwieldthedarpachief wrote:

The waiting game is a losing game in my experience. I like to take advantage of this system and call it even. People in general seem to care more about convenience though; what about you guys? Hypothetically speaking, would you grab the lossy Innocence BD off of amazon.com or get the one with real HD audio from amazon.co.jp? I know I'd go the extra mile - if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right, right?

Personally what i care about is story quality not how PRETTY it looks or sounds.