Why doesn't Funimation deal with fansubbers?

So, I've noticed that Funimation seems to go after fansubbers whenever they copyright an anime. This began to confuse me when they started releasing their own subs for said anime shortly thereafter for free online. Why don't they just strike a deal with the fansubbers? The fansubs are:

1) ...difficult to get rid of. You can't actually punish the people who view it, just the seeders and hosts. Therefore, there're several copies that get spread around Youtube and other hosts when the episode comes out. They do get removed in about a week, but most fans have seen it by then. And lets not even start on seeders...
2) ...include karaoke. Only the speediest subs don't include the words and translation for the lyrics in the opening and ending themes. Only a few of those don't turn the words in the lyrics into karaoke (just in case someone wants to sing along >.<). Yuurisan subs actually did this during an episode of D.Gray-man when two of the characters started singing. Funimation doesn't do this at all.
3) ...in existence. This is the most puzzling. Most subbers do it for free as a community thing. Funimation could offer the group $50 an episode or something in exchange for written approval to use their subs on their site (and perhaps DVDs). Most subbers really just want credit. They'd be like interns.
4) ...accurate translations. This one is just one I usually just hear others whining about, but I've noticed one or two moments where my pidgin Japanese tells me that they took artistic license with their translation. I've never seen people complain that way about subbers, except for when they stopped subbing Soul Eater and someone subbed it with Babblefish. Funimation isn't anywhere NEAR that bad, but flaws seem to exist.

Yuurisan's in-episode karaoke is below (0:38). Most karaoke are like this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYNQ5Okcx3Y&videos=YSMazlfKG24

2009-07-13T16:27:40Z

I give a ton of reasons why they SHOULD make the deals. Since they don't, there have to be reasons behind it. That's what I'm looking for. Why does Funimation produce their own subs even when the (sometimes) high quality fansubs that exist?

2009-07-15T17:10:25Z

@Mat: By paying fansubbers for their work, they aren't condoning illegal translations anymore. It becomes something like outsourcing the subbing. That would effectively remove the "illegalness" of the subbing. The other subbers become illegal.

People buy anime for the dubs, higher quality, and to support the authors. You'll notice that Funimation streams several of their subs free on Veoh. There'd be no difference between those subs and outsourced subs.

I imagine Funimation could Email subbers or ask on the forums if they want to be payed for this. I'd get rid of anonymity for a job offer. They only have to pick the subbers that impress them the most or whichever happens to be the most organized.

I have a hard time believing that there's no way to make the removable karaoke subs. Don't know enough to argue this, though.

There may be worse subs than Funimation, but there are definitely equal and arguably better. That's all that really matters.

Mat of the RSPSOA2009-07-14T00:11:00Z

Favorite Answer

Funimation will only take legal action for anime series that they have licensed. When they license a series, Funimation is essentially purchasing the rights to distribute anime in certain regions (mainly the US) from Japanese companies. When they own these rights, they try to crack down on ALL illegal distributions of their series- this includes fansubbers who are distributing series that they own.

So the first reason that Funimation does not deal with fansubbers is because they do not want to condone the actions of technically illegal organizations.

Secondly, as I just mentioned, the problem isn't that fansubbers are putting out competing translations of anime. The problem is that they are illegally putting out free copies of the anime that Funimation now owns. Even if Funimation deals with a fansub group after they get a license to the series- all those free copies are still going to be out their floating around.

Not to mention- who the hell would PAY for anime when they are using the EXACT subtitles that are already available for free?

Also, how the heck do you exactly suggest Funimation deals with fansubbing groups? There are so fricking many of them... For example, TEN groups have started subbing Haruhi season 2. Funimation can't make deals with ALL of them. So do they deal with one, and take legal action against the rest? And then, those groups usually operate anonymously. I mean, you may have five people who worked on a subtitle together, but don't even know the real names of their coworkers. How is Funimation supposed to draw up a contract with these kinds of loosely tied, anonymous organization?

As far as the Karaoke effects are concerned- you'd be a fool to think that for some reason Funimation didn't know HOW to make karaoke- so there must be some reason that they don't include it. Well the reason is simple- they simply aren't allowed to do it. You may have noticed, but karaoke would need to be hardsubbed (which means it can't be turned on and off) on a DVD. However, the Japanese animation studios do not permit Funimation to modify the original content in that way as a part of their contract. So even if Funimation dealt with fansubbers, they still couldn't have karaoke on the anime DVDs.

As far as the accuracy of translations are concerned, anime fansubs span in range of quality. A group such as Shinsen, A.F.K., or Triad are usually amazingly well done. But then we find groups such as Your-Mom and Philanthropy which have just plain sucked hard. If you haven't ever heard people complaining about subbers, you haven't been around the net enough...

On the flip side of things, yes Funimation does often take so called "artistic license" with the translation- but usually only for things that don't translate so well into English (such as Japanese puns). However, they try to substitute in something equivalent in English, and they obtain the original Japanese producer's input and consent to do so.
______________________________________
EDIT:
You seem to be confused about a few things. Historically, it takes months or even years after a series begins airing in Japan before Funimation will announce a license. Except in a few rare instances, we don't even know IF a series will be licensed for English release (let alone who the company will be) when the series first comes out in Japan.

By the time Funimation picks up a license, fansubbers have usually subbed many, many episodes (often the entire series!). So if Funimation made a deal with a fansub group, it's not like they are going to be commissioning them to make subs for anime. Instead, they would essentially be buying already made illegal goods.

I think knowingly buying illegally made goods counts as condoning illegal actions.

Now let's assume that Funimation licenses a series a few months after it began airing in Japan. If a handful of groups have been illegally subbing the series up to that point, you are essentially saying that Funimation should grant immunity to the best or most organized group, then still prosecute the rest? That seems a tad ridiculous...

Also, there is a huge difference between watching anime distributed by fansubbers and watching anime on Veoh, or Funimation, or Hulu (or whatever). When Funimation puts up an anime somewhere, it comes with ads so that Funimations still makes money. On the other hand, they don't see a dime from the videos that fansubbers put out freely all over the web.

So when Funimation gets the rights to a series a few months after it comes out in Japan- they would still need to try to kill off all the free videos saturating the internet- regardless of whether or not they would make a deal with fansubbers. They need people to be watching the anime on Funimation supported sites so that they can STILL MAKE MONEY.

That's the real concern for them.

21

Anonymous2016-02-26T05:46:16Z

1. Deal 2. No Deal 3. No Deal 4. No Deal 5. Deal 6. No Deal 7. Deal 8. Deal 9. No Deal 10. Deal 11. No Deal

00

Anonymous2009-07-13T16:20:16Z

you kinda answer it yourself

05

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