Why doesn't Funimation deal with fansubbers?

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.

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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.

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

you kinda answer it yourself