“On Readers Who Read Manga for Free”
This time, I would like to talk about something a little sensitive—no, in fact, something extremely sensitive.
That is the issue of readers around the world who consume pirated manga(manga piracy).
There are many ways we can think about the problem of “reading manga through piracy overseas.”
1. So is reading manga piracy illegal?
Surprisingly, in many cases, it is not(!).
But is that really so surprising?
Let’s think about what “illegal” actually means for a moment.
For something to be considered illegal, it must violate the laws of the country where the person resides.
(Although the reality is more complex, let’s simplify it for now.)
For reading pirated foreign manga to be illegal, that country must be a member of an international copyright system based on the TRIPS Agreement.
After joining such an international copyright system, the country must also revise its domestic copyright laws to align with global standards.
Only then does reading pirated foreign works—such as manga and webtoons from Japan and Korea—become illegal in that country.
If a country has not done so, then for its citizens, reading pirated versions of foreign manga is not “illegal.”
In other words, it is not a criminal act.
South Korea joined the international copyright system in 1988.
Before that, copying and distributing Japanese manga without authorization was legally permissible.
China joined in 2004.
Japan, meanwhile, joined as early as 1899.
Yes—1899.
Even today, there are many countries in the world that are not part of the international copyright system.
For citizens of those countries, reading pirated Japanese manga is not a crime.
Let me repeat this clearly: it is not illegal.
And from the perspective of a creator, this is a very painful truth.
However, there is no universal obligation for every country in the world to join the international copyright system.
That is a matter of national sovereignty and choice.
But still, we may have a better solution.
At least, I have been thinking about a possible approach to this issue.
For now, I will continue developing this idea a little further.
To be contined.
👋 hi all, i have updated the doujinshi guide!
- Added section for fanfiction authors
- Added review for MCE Printing
- Updated sections to account for doujinshi events in North America
- Added a section regarding legality of fanwork doujinshi
enjoy!
https://t.co/G1Jv14SczJ
I just noticed that in the scene where Senku decides that he wants to go to space, he's copying Byakuya's outfit- down to the pens in the pocket and one button undone- from when he first told Senku that he wanted to become an astronaut aaahg that's too cute !!
하ㅠㅠ 트친이 얘기해준 츠카센썰
트리하우스 시절. 센쿠가 너무 추워하면서 자고 있으면 쯔까사쿤 따뜻하게 해주고 싶어서 꼬옥...♡ 안고 자주는데 다음날 센쿠가
와;; 아나콘다한테 감겨서 죽는 꿈 꿨어;;; 라고 할 것 같다고 함ㅋㅋㄱㅋㅋㅋㅠㅠㅠㅜㅠ
(🦁: 나... 나 아나콘다...?)