“Your article (New Go Manga Fansubbed 4/9/2013) shocked me that an organization I respect as much as the AGA would promote reading scanlations and/or watching fansubs,” writes John Koniges. “This is a serious issue that is killing the American Manga and Anime industry…While your intentions are to show information about a new Manga that is promoting go, you should write articles that do not encourage piracy…Whether or not someone in the United States has purchased those rights, it is still protected under copyright. Just because the Japanese companies don’t often directly sue US fansubbers doesn’t make it ok. This article clearly outlines these legal gray areas.”
Editor’s Note: The E-Journal is committed to reporting go-related news. The story notes clearly that “Pandascans reminds readers that they do not own the rights to this manga, and ask that people support the author and the publisher by purchasing the manga when/if it becomes available in the US.” and “As with Hikaru no Go, this can help build a market for a series that might not otherwise get translated.” The E-Journal similarly reported on fansubs of Hikaru no Go before it was translated, and it was a letter-writing campaign from AGA members that helped convince Shonen Jump to translate Hikaru (it was not originally going to be included in the US Shonen Jump).
