From content creators to editors to publishers, one element of the industry thatmangaprofessionals agree on is the piracy problem. Surprisingly though, according to the head editor of a major manga publication, the problem with piracy is not all bad. DespiteJapanese authorities cracking down on manga piracy recently, in his analysis, piracy can create a positive gain for the industry’s long-term viability.
Akira Kanai is the editor-in-chief of the popular Kodansha manga anthologyWeekly Afternoon, and in an interview with German outletManga Passion, he talks about the potential benefits of piracy. In response to a question about his thoughts on the globalization of the Japanese manga system, Kanai starts by saying that the spread of manga internationally is vital to the medium’s continued existence. Though Kanai doesn’t outright endorse piracy, he does point to it as a useful tool in spreading manga.
It would be nice if they didn’t just read the illegally pirated copies, but paid a bit of money for them. But if they don’t have money and there are a lot of pirated copies, I think the pirated copy is okay for now – I could be beaten to death by a board member for saying that now. (laughs) First of all, it’s important that manga are read.
Manga Anti-Piracy Protection Is A Major Focus Of The Industry
Anti-Piracy Measures Are A Necessity For The Manga Business
To fully articulate his thinking, Kanai points out that while the largest market for manga remains in Japan; the country’s decreasing population - especially among younger generations, means thatthere is a declining cohort of kids and teenagers eager to read manga. Kanai argues that while the domestic market for manga is large, it is shrinking year by year. Consequently, under Kanai’s thinking, the only way that manga can continue to exist is by capturing the minds and hearts of young people abroad.
Of course, international expansion occurs with the systematic and legal distribution of content through officially verified channels such as licensed distributors based in other countries. But expansion can also happen organically, such as through piracy. Certainly, more than a few die-hard manga fans got their first experience in the medium via a pirated copy ofbig three manga likeNaruto,One Piece, orBleach. While Kanai is careful not to condone this behavior, he is clear as to why this can be a benefit, namely by increasing manga access.
Kanai’s Point: Piracy Can Benefit The Manga Industry
It should be noted that Kanai’s comments are made in light of the extensive countermeasures the industry has taken to protect itself from piracy. As an editor, he surely knows about these protective efforts, which include controlling the distribution of manga - such as requiring all manga downloads to occur from Kodansha’s own data center, or from verified partner servers. Measures also include watermarks to differentiate official and non-official versions, and litigation - or legally going after pirates.
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However, because these protective measures are in place, Kanai’s idea also makes a certain amount of sense. For a business model that is clearly in need of a continuing injection of new consumers; under Kanai’s analysis piracy serves as a temporarily free distribution vector for manga content. While each pirated copy of a manga incurs a loss of profits for the content creator and publisher, it also realizes savings in terms of all the costs the publisher foregoes - such as server fees, manga delivery fees, and insurance premiums.
Weekly Afternoonis known for publishing such iconic manga titles asHeavenly Delusions,Parasyte, andBlade of the Immortal.
Kodansha Editor Argues Manga Pirates Often Switch Over To Being Official Readers
The biggest factor though, is that pirates distribute manga to people who may not have had the opportunity to read the title otherwise. By Kanai’s logic, once hooked on a title, such fans are likely, at some point, to abandon their pirated access for official copies when they realize legal access provides a host of benefits that piracy cannot. Most manga distributors offer more than a few perks for fans who sign on to the official service. According to Kanai, the potential gain in readers switching from unofficial to official means is ultimately a benefit to the largermangaecosystem.
