Award-Winning Manga Author Opens Up His Work To Be Used By 'Anyone, Anywhere, For Anything,' Royalty-Free
from the your-move,-Disney dept
There's a rhetorical question that often gets thrown our way here at Techdirt: "If you remove the protection of copyright, how are artists supposed to make a living?" Despite many, many answers having been given, the question persists. Here's another look at a possible answer in progress.Via Plagiarism Today comes the news that Shuho Sata, the author of "Burakku Jyakku ni Yoroshiku" ("Say Hello to Black Jack"), is getting set to fly without the copyright safety net. He's freeing his 10-million selling manga from the limits of copyright as a form of "second use."
This means that after 15 September anyone in the world will be free to novelize, televise, create merchandise, or in any way adapt the original work for either commercial or non-commercial purposes without having to pay royalties. This is the latest move in the writer's quest to find alternatives to the “outdated” model of intellectual property rights.Earlier this year, Sato ended his relationship with the original publisher of the Black Jack series and started his own publishing website, where his works are currently uploaded. That was the first step in Sato's quest to discover how artists might make a living without relying on exclusivity and enforcement.
“The traditional model of making profit by holding onto a copyright is gradually going stale” he said. “I want to explore the possible benefits to authors beyond this system.”To this end, Sato will also be displaying his work at the pixiv Zingaro in Tokyo and providing a copier for visitors to use to "replicate whatever they want." A few more details of his plan are available at the pixiv Zingaro site. Sato will not actually be renouncing his copyright. Instead, he has chosen to not enforce it, in essence granting the entire world free rein to use his work to create foreign language adaptations, applications, commercial films, TV series, produce merchandise or anything else the "second users" can come up with.
The fine print on the deal reads as such (translation a bit wonky -- via Chrome):
Terms of Use: do not need to contact us in advance.Sato admits he has no idea how this will turn out, but is clearly interested in observing the results. His feeling seems to be (again, translation issues) that there has to be a better system than the current one and the only way we'll find something better, or one that fits more in line with today's technology, is to head in the opposite direction and see where that leads us.
Royalty others: we do not require any reward.
You are happy if you can use the work freely.
Someone is sure to point out that Sato is only doing this after selling 10 million copies thanks to existing copyright laws, as if that somehow negates the effort he's making. I invite those particular someones to observe all the other artists out there who have sold millions but still clutched that copyright close to their chests for the remainder of their lifetimes and well into the lives of their heirs.
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Filed Under: copyright, manga, royalty free, shuho sata
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Part of the problem...
Part of the problem with changing copyright is that we don't yet truly know what works, and more importantly, what doesn't. It seems like people that would make comments similar to the one above want "new" creators to do all the heavy lifting of figuring out the new business models. Of course, back here in reality-land, the rest of us recognize that it will take both newcomers and established creators to help chart a course forward. Creators like Sato should be cherished for their willingness to step up and help.
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Re: Part of the problem...
The dude has made his money and now has chosen not to be a jerk. He likely understands his place in the grand scheme of things and realizes the main value of his work is now inspirational rather than financial.
The "profit window" has pretty much closed. All that's left for him is the "long tail" now. Perhaps he realizes that his interests aren't served exercising his "right to exclude".
The "financial gain" part of the process is over and he realizes it.
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This is commendable, but the cynic in me can't help but suggest a more appropriate title for this article: Award-Winning Manga Author Greenlights Doujinshis That Were 'Pretty Much Going To Happen Anyway'
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or alternatively:
Award-Winning Manga Author isn't stupid.
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Sadly, it will take time for Japan to recognize how the digital world had changed the regular world. I'm excited for what the future holds but it will there will be an interesting time ahead.
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In Japan they are allowed because most if not all mangaka (manga artist) either grow out of doujinshi or is related to doujinshi market/artist in some way. In the tradition of encouraging/allowing younger mangaka the opportunity that establish artists had when they were doing doujinshi too, mangaka turns a blind eye toward doujinshi and does not talk about it.
However, that being said, from time to time you COULD have an outlier who is willing to shut down doujinshi of his/her work. Sato is essentially making it official that he is allowing this instead of just let it be.
So your alternative title is appropriate, but that does not make the action less meaningful.
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It's nice that the comic creator is making it official, as you say; I'm sure such a statement will encourage artists to create derivative works based on his material, but I have to wonder if such a statement really changes anything for the doujinshi market as a whole.
Then again, perhaps I'm being too harsh, especially since this is also recent news. I guess good news is good news.
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Where have I seen that before...
That notion sounds familiar for some reason...
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"Well into the lives of their heirs."
Christopher Robin (THE Christopher Robin [Milne]) died in 1996 of OLD AGE. And "Winnie the Pooh" is still in copyright.
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I suppose he might be keeping it as a safety net, so he can undo the decision by once again pursuing royalties if he decides he doesn't like the results of his experiment. Let us hope it doesn't come to that.
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Keeping the copyright but not excercising it is the way to go.
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What about CC-BY?
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Also, I think you're thinking about Tezuka Osamu's Black Jack? This is 'Say Hello to Black Jack', a comic about politics in medical field in Japan. It's really good :)
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But I'll make a prediction here. What will be more interesting will be the life that will flourish from his work. Fan fiction already thrives even with copyright but once ppl are given green light to create on top o it it'll become more organized and "official". His attitude will create both a much larger legacy related to his works and more loyal fans that will replace the revenue he's losing by letting copyright go. And maybe it'll be even greater now.
Worth following his experience.
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NOW
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Translation
If you want to use the work, no need to contact me.
No need to pay me or reward me with anything either.
I'm happy just to see people use my work without any restrictions.
It's hard to translate the last sentence into a nice English. :/
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Tim, I guess you just don't understand the idea of the artist having the power to MAKE THE CHOICE THEMSELVES. Copyright isn't an all inclusive, one way street where the artist signs up and his or her work remains that way, untouchable for a million years. The artist can (and sometimes does, as in this case) decide to put things out there for free use earlier.
Heck, creative commons and such really is just the same thing, variations of copyright open license.
If an art sells 10 million copies and feels that is enough, they made their money and they are happy, and they no longer want to restrict use, that is THEIR CHOICE. More power to them. Don't club those who choose to retain copyright over the head with it, they have made their choice too.
Learn to respect people, it's something that is sorely lacking around here.
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Personally, I look forward to stories like this one, since I believe there should be less restriction to the dissemination and building upon of creative works. But if anyone else decides not to do similar with their own output, then that's their entitlement. Just as it's my entitlement not to read/watch/listen to their output as a consequence.
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"Give it to me for free or stop making it".
You should make a t-shirt out of that one Mike!
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Copyright is a new ting; humanity created some of its finest artistic creations with no thought of licences or copyright that lasts life + 70 years.
Maybe is not meant to be locked up like this?
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Amusingly enough, if he hadn't sold millions of copies, the naysayers would just as quickly say that he's only giving any the work because nobody wants it.
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Nevertheless : Say Hello to Blackjack really is one of the better drama mangas out there. I own the books, and I've enjoyed the guy's previous works, too; he seems like the sort of mangaka who puts real thoughts into the questions he ask in his work instead of the usual 'society is rotten, humanity is rotten, but we're capable of doing something nice every once in a while' trope usual in seinen manga. I'm glad he's gone this route and he has gained 10x more of my respect this way.
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I give gifts, but don't repeal burgularly laws
However, the key word is "giving." Look I give gifts to my friends. I give money to my church. Hey, I even toss a couple of bucks in the guitar case of the guy playing in the subway. But that doesn't mean I want all personal property laws repealed. I mean it's a big difference between me giving the guitar player two dollars and him holding me at gun point and taking those two dollars out of my pocket.
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Re: I give gifts, but don't repeal burgularly laws
The reason this guy's placing his comic books out of copyright is because he doesn't need the protection of copyright to make money.
Likewise, it's a refreshing acknowledgement reality, of what already happens whether you like it or not: Japan has a thriving fan-produced comic world who will make adaptations whether you like it or not, whether your lawyers like it or not. You can be snitty and craven and greedy, or you can embrace your fans and their enthusiasm to create fan made work.
The second is smarter because enforcement not only goes nowhere (just look at Paramount's attempts to crack down on Star Trek or how TSR's crackdown on any website that even mentioned Dungeons and Dragons gave them the nickname "They Sue Regularly), but also alienates people.
Your comparison to mugging makes no sense for the same exhausting, rote list of reasons comparing intellectual property to real property doesn't work ("you wouldn't download a car!") but also for the unique reason that once a work is out, the ability to control what others do with it no longer exists.
People WILL write sequels, will write fan works, make fan art, dress up as characters at conventions. People will take inspiration from your work, and either make direct lifts. None of this is bad. It just means you're important, and people will find the original and pay for it. Look how many hardcover versions there are of public domain works at bookstores.
Don't like it? Tough. The best way to control totally what you create is to never release it.
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Some clarifications
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