Your Position on Fan Translations

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Matt122005
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Your Position on Fan Translations

Post by Matt122005 »

Ok, so as I'm sure you at SevenSeas are well aware, there are fan translations currently available for Zero's Familiar.

You hold the license for those books to be released officially, however, those plans are on indeffinite hiatus.

Many readers and some of the translators want to keep the project going for now since your not releasing any of the books and have no current plans to.

But...we want to know. Are you ok with this?

I know, it's strange right? Were actually asking you. lol

But seriously, are you alright with it?

The translations arent up so that we dont have to pay when the real books come out. They're up since thats the only way we can read them for now.

The translators wouldn't mind taking them down when your ready to release the series officially (whenever that is), but would it be alright with you if we had the fan translations up until the books are ready?

I mean, were die hard fans of the series and love reading it. And we'll gladly buy and help support the series when it comes out officially.

But while were waiting, is it alright if the fan translations exist? Just for now?

I and many fans would be very grateful if you would say yes.

And as I said, they'd be very happy with taking the translations down when you decide to release the books officially, but for now, while their fate is uknown and there is no other way to read them, will you allow fans to read the fan translations?

Thanks for reading this.

-Matt

PS. The fan community awaits your reply with bated breath.

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Lord Styphon
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Post by Lord Styphon »

While I cannot and do not speak for Seven Seas, but when someone holds a copyright to something, and you bring it to their attention that you're violating it, this is pretty much the only response they can give.

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Adam_Arnold
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Re: Your Position on Fan Translations

Post by Adam_Arnold »

Seven Seas is the English language rights holder for the Zero's Familiar novels, so any fan translations infringe on not only our rights, but those of the Japanese licensor (Media Factory) and the author (Noboru Yamaguchi).

Regardless of when/if a product is ultimately released, once a company announces that it has acquired the rights to a series, fansubber and scanlator ethics are such that any unofficial fan translations should voluntarily cease being distributed and any files be taken offline.

Matt122005
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Post by Matt122005 »

True. And the translators had originally intended to take down the translation when you announced the aquisition of ZNT.

Just one problem.

You said back then that the series was canceled. That all your books would not sell and thus the entire light novel line up was canceled.

That would imply as though you were saying that the license was worthless, as if it was just something pretty you could shake but nothing you could use.

So the ethics kind of were reversed. I mean, we were being told that the books would not be released. So it was as if the license was made void. 'They would never be released' was the motto going around the web with no denials by you.

Also, the translators have on the site a message, and have had that message up for some time, that said that if you contacted them about taking it down, they would. But you never did. Which furthered their suspicion that you had given up on ZNT and the translations were acceptable.

Are you saying now that you are within your abilities to forsee a possible 2010/2011 release of ZNT? Or is this merely you saying "We have to say they should be taken down because of legal reasons, but for now, we aren't taking any measures to make you."?

You have to remember that ZNT is one of the most popular light novel fan translations of all time. It has a huge following.

I will also remind you that fan translations are a benefit to your company. Thanks to the fan translations, you have more pottential customers than you would have had without them. Those fan translations keep people interested in ZNT. Without them, your pottential customers could forget about the books, lose interest, and when and if you were ever if ever to release the books, you'd have an even smaller more niche group to market to.

But anyway, its your decision. You are the license holder. Are you telling them to shut it down regardless of the fact that we may never be able to buy the books ever in English?

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Lord Styphon
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Post by Lord Styphon »

Matt122005 wrote:True. And the translators had originally intended to take down the translation when you announced the aquisition of ZNT.

Just one problem.

You said back then that the series was canceled. That all your books would not sell and thus the entire light novel line up was canceled.

That would imply as though you were saying that the license was worthless, as if it was just something pretty you could shake but nothing you could use.

So the ethics kind of were reversed. I mean, we were being told that the books would not be released. So it was as if the license was made void. 'They would never be released' was the motto going around the web with no denials by you.

Also, the translators have on the site a message, and have had that message up for some time, that said that if you contacted them about taking it down, they would. But you never did. Which furthered their suspicion that you had given up on ZNT and the translations were acceptable.

Are you saying now that you are within your abilities to forsee a possible 2010/2011 release of ZNT? Or is this merely you saying "We have to say they should be taken down because of legal reasons, but for now, we aren't taking any measures to make you."?

You have to remember that ZNT is one of the most popular light novel fan translations of all time. It has a huge following.

I will also remind you that fan translations are a benefit to your company. Thanks to the fan translations, you have more pottential customers than you would have had without them. Those fan translations keep people interested in ZNT. Without them, your pottential customers could forget about the books, lose interest, and when and if you were ever if ever to release the books, you'd have an even smaller more niche group to market to.

But anyway, its your decision. You are the license holder. Are you telling them to shut it down regardless of the fact that we may never be able to buy the books ever in English?
Image

Also, wasn't this thread closed?

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Adam_Arnold
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Post by Adam_Arnold »

Please see my earlier post regarding this topic.

This thread is closed.

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