question on VCD licensing and copyrights

[Patrick Glenn]

I have a question regarding VCD distribution of anime films. I have seen
several sites where the VCD versions of films are for sale, usually at much
lower cost than DVD versions, and would like to know, specifically if this
is legally copyrighted and if so two, if this is regionally controlled and
if so for what regions.

I have also read somewhere that only the DUBBED versions of anime films are
licensed in the USA, and somebody else holds the SUBTITLED versions of these
films. I have had contact (actually they have contacted me) with ADV FIlms
specifically, as they seem to believe they own the exclusive rights to
almost every anime ever made. I used to sell DVD and VCD anime on my website
and they were always after me, and they have specifically had a number of my
EBAY auctions for VCD films (legally purchased by me) cancelled.

My questions include but are not limited to:
- Akira
- Battle Angel
- Cutey Honey
- Martian Successor Nadesco
- MegaMan
- Neon Genesis Evangelion
- Robotech
- Samurai X
- Tekken

Is there any site/newsgroup where I can get information on this, or anyone
have information regarding this? any help or suggestions would be
appreciated.

Patrick

[Rob Kelk]

On Sat, 10 Jan 2004 14:43:35 -0500, "Patrick Glenn"
<pat@futurepresence.net> wrote:

>I have a question regarding VCD distribution of anime films. I have seen
>several sites where the VCD versions of films are for sale, usually at much
>lower cost than DVD versions, and would like to know, specifically if this
>is legally copyrighted and if so two, if this is regionally controlled and
>if so for what regions.

Whereabouts in the world are you? Copyright law in the United Kingdom
is somewhat different from copyright law in the United States, and both
are somewhat different from copyright law in Australia, and all three
are somewhat different from copyright law in Canada, and so on.

There are a few commonalities, though, so I may be able to help you.
First, the medium doesn't matter - the exact same copyright applies to
VHS, VCD, DVD, LD, MPEG-4, or wire recordings. What matters is the
content, not the format.


>I have also read somewhere that only the DUBBED versions of anime films are
>licensed in the USA, and somebody else holds the SUBTITLED versions of these
>films.

That depends on the licence. The only anime for which that was true
recently, that I know about, was "My Neighbor Totoro", and the separate
licencing expired at the end of last year - Disney now has the North
American rights to both the subtitled and dubbed versions of that film.

> I have had contact (actually they have contacted me) with ADV FIlms
>specifically, as they seem to believe they own the exclusive rights to
>almost every anime ever made.

This would be because they've payed literally millions of dollars to
obtain those rights.

> I used to sell DVD and VCD anime on my website
>and they were always after me, and they have specifically had a number of my
>EBAY auctions for VCD films (legally purchased by me) cancelled.
>
>My questions include but are not limited to:
> - Akira
Licenced by Geneon - all distribution must be cleared through them.

> - Battle Angel
Licenced by James Cameron - all distribution must be cleared through him
(and it appears that he isn't allowing distribution at this time).

> - Cutey Honey
Licenced by ADV Films - all distribution must be cleared through them.

> - Martian Successor Nadesco
Licenced by ADV Films - all distribution must be cleared through them.

> - MegaMan
Licenced by ADV Films - all distribution must be cleared through them.

> - Neon Genesis Evangelion
Licenced by ADV Films - all distribution must be cleared through them.

> - Robotech
This compliation series is licenced by ADV Films - all distribution must
be cleared through them.

> - Samurai X
Licenced by Media Blasters (TV series) and ADV Films (movies) - all
distribution must be cleared through both of them.

> - Tekken
Licenced by ...someone... - all distribution must be cleared through
whoever they are.


Rather than listing other titles individually, it would be faster to
give the general rule: If you haven't paid for the right to distribute
a given anime title, then you don't have the right to do so.


>Is there any site/newsgroup where I can get information on this, or anyone
>have information regarding this? any help or suggestions would be
>appreciated.

There's a list of who has paid for which licences somewhere on
<http://animeondvd.com> - I recall that the link is directly off the
main page.

>Patrick

--
Rob Kelk
robkelk -at- jksrv -dot- com

[The Eternal Lost Lurker]

"Patrick Glenn" <pat@futurepresence.net> wrote in message
news:pOqdnVrVmJfay53dRVn-gg@comcast.com...
> I have a question regarding VCD distribution of anime films. I have seen
> several sites where the VCD versions of films are for sale, usually at
much
> lower cost than DVD versions, and would like to know, specifically if this
> is legally copyrighted and if so two, if this is regionally controlled and
> if so for what regions.

Virtually all VCDs of anime found for sale on the Internet are bootlegs.

> I have also read somewhere that only the DUBBED versions of anime films
are
> licensed in the USA, and somebody else holds the SUBTITLED versions of
these
> films.

That's bullshit, sorry.

> I have had contact (actually they have contacted me) with ADV FIlms
> specifically, as they seem to believe they own the exclusive rights to
> almost every anime ever made.

They do happen to own the rights to quite a few anime...at least a couple
hundred titles, at last count...

> I used to sell DVD and VCD anime on my website
> and they were always after me, and they have specifically had a number of
my
> EBAY auctions for VCD films (legally purchased by me) cancelled.

"Legally purchased" bootlegs are still bootlegs. They had every right to
shut down your auctions of pirated materials.

> Is there any site/newsgroup where I can get information on this, or anyone
> have information regarding this? any help or suggestions would be
> appreciated.

I suggest you get out of the habit of buying and selling bootleg anime. :P


--
I'm not impressed by giant breasts.
I think they're a mess.
But I digress.
=+=
The Eternal Lost Lurker
www.lurkerdrome.com

[Glenn Shaw]

Rob Kelk wrote:

> Patrick Glenn wrote:
>
>>I have a question regarding VCD distribution of anime films. I have seen
>>several sites where the VCD versions of films are for sale, usually at much
>>lower cost than DVD versions, and would like to know, specifically if this
>>is legally copyrighted and if so two, if this is regionally controlled and
>>if so for what regions.
>
> Whereabouts in the world are you?

<snip>

Patrick's probably posting from the midwestern United States, given the GMT
offset (GMT -0600) and the message ID (which points to Comcast HSI).

<snip>

>> - Tekken
> Licenced by ...someone... - all distribution must be cleared through
> whoever they are.

IIRC, ADV Films has the rights to "Tekken: The Motion Picture". I don't
know if a Tekken anime TV series was produced, or, if so, who has the US
license for that.

<snip>

>>Is there any site/newsgroup where I can get information on this, or anyone
>>have information regarding this? any help or suggestions would be
>>appreciated.
>
> There's a list of who has paid for which licences somewhere on
> <http://animeondvd.com> - I recall that the link is directly off the
> main page.

Or, more directly:
http://www.animeondvd.com/licenselist/

Be aware that the list does not include hentai titles, but *does* include
manga titles.

--
Glenn Shaw
Indianapolis, IN USA
Sergeant-at-Arms, Indiana Animation Club (www.indyanime.org)
To e-mail, remove NOSPAM and transpose CAST and NET

[S.t.A.n.L.e.E]

On Sun, 11 Jan 2004, The Eternal Lost Lurker wrote:

>
> "Patrick Glenn" <pat@futurepresence.net> wrote in message
> news:pOqdnVrVmJfay53dRVn-gg@comcast.com...
>
> > I have also read somewhere that only the DUBBED versions of anime films
> are
> > licensed in the USA, and somebody else holds the SUBTITLED versions of
> these
> > films.
>
> That's bullshit, sorry.
>

Although a few times it may appear that way.
Like Nelvana owning the American license to Card Captor Sakura,
then they sublicensed the sub DVDs to Pioneer.
But in truth, Nelvana is still the American licensee.

Laters. =)

Stan
--
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__| | ( )
/ _ | |/ Stanlee stanlee[at]cif[dot]rochester[dot]edu
| ( _| | Dometita http://cif.rochester.edu/~stanlee/
\ ______| _______ ____ ___
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