Whilst we often hear the bleating of fat cats about losses of mythical millions, this is one area where the fans have actually made an $80 Billion dollar a year market-place, proving that copyright when over enforced, in effect stunts creativity and talent.
http://www.reason.com/news/show/116788.htmlThe global sales of Japan’s animation industry reached an astonishing $80 billion in 2004, 10 times what they were a decade before. It has won this worldwide success in part because Japanese media companies paid little attention to the kinds of grassroots activities—call it piracy, unauthorized duplication and circulation, or simply file-sharing—that American media companies seem so determined to shut down. Much of the risk of entering Western markets and many of the costs of experimentation and promotion were borne by dedicated consumers.
This is an interesting article for two reasons, one being It shows how not being
overzealous with copyright enforcement generates more revenue and consumer support and two it exposes the "anime scene"and its roots, often little heard about in many countries to a new audience and thats got to be good for all.
