Bit Torrent...how long do we really have?

[auraki]

Everybody and their mothers are learning how to use the program Bit Torrent to download anime, music, and manga nowerdays....but how long do we really have?

As long as there are fansubbers, I guess Bit Torrent will stay active, but I also think if anime becomes more popular production companies will get smart and place heavier limitations on anime distribution. Already I have seen websites get in trouble for distributing licensed anime.

I suppose it will take a long while though, because...look at music now. Sure, it's illegal to distribute, illegal to download (from unauthorized sources) yet there are thousands and thousands who still do it. There are always sources for it, albeit, underground sources, but people find ways around it.

Do you think it will become similar with anime? Or is there any noticable difference with music that doesn't apply to anime? I'm thinking maybe there is something in the whole individual artist thing, but I don't know....

[Sephiroth Kaizen]

One thing I've noticed between downloading anime and music, is that people generally download music just for a couple of songs that are good out of fifteen sucky songs. When people download anime, they download the whole friggin thing because it's a continuation and you're interested in what'll happen next. Sometimes I dl music, but it's two songs from a CD because I've heard the CD and other than those songs, it just sucks and I'm not forking over $15 for a crappy CD. I will, on the other hand, whether I dl it or not, pay for an entire collection of anime on DVD. I think it's worth it. I just don't want to spend $100 for a DVD set and the anime sucks.
Every anime series I've seen and fell in love with I have every intention on actually purchasing. Yes, my anime collection is small, but it's growing. Hellsing is next! Woohoo!

[BakaBaka]

Frankly, if I couldn't download anime, I wouldn't watch it. Mainly because it is like anything that is a great seller and saturated with crap. Only when you sort through the trash can you find the perals. I only buy anime if I liked every single episode. Thus why I own so few anime shows/movies.

On topic however, IRC has been around forever and Usenet even longer. P2P has been around for a good long time. It wont be stopped. It may take a little more work to get what you want, but you will still be able to.

[DigitalFire]

"If there's a will, there's a way." comes into mind

[auraki]

Hehe, well I do intend to buy all of my favorite anime someday *ahem* whenIbecomeamillionaireandruletheworld. But I agree, I have watched so many crappy series...and have finally learned the true value of the american dollar through starvation....I won't buy things now unless I really like the series.

I think, if it becomes a major problem in the industry, sure, I will buy my anime, but I will also see much less of it. Now, if they made it easier to rent anime...we wouldn't have as much as a problem. I don't know...code the freaking cd or something.

[GoGoCactusMan]

Well, I download episodes of Naruto and I download the manga, but I still buy the dvds and the books when they come out. I download songs too, but yeah, it's kinda like burning a cd, that way you can pick and choose which songs you want. Like I downloaded all the opening and ending themes from Naruto, but I've already bought the first two OSTs, so Idon't feel bad about it, since I know I'll probably buy the cds when they come out. I can understand people watching unreleased things online, like alot of people wouldn't have any acess to Naruto or FMA if they didn't, since it hasn't been released in the US, I'm lucky 'cause I've got conections through my friend's store in town that I can get all the released Naruto and FMA DVDs with subs. straight from Japan
if you're interested or live anywhere near Westbrook, Maine, check out www.weekendanime.com

[Sephiroth Kaizen]

[glow=blue,4,300]Um... actually do intend on buying all of the anime I like. Naruto may have to come last because that's a lot of money to be spending on a neverending saga. But my list of things to buy so far are Hellsing (I get that next weekend! And my headprotector!), Trigun, Naruto, Witch Hunter Robin, Wolf's Rain (next), Samurai Champloo, and Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust. Yay! Tons of money being shoveled out!
I get my headprotector next weekend!!! WooHoo!!![/glow]

[GoGoCactusMan]

Yeah, Weekend anime was the best thing that ever happened to us down in the Southern part of the State!! I've been able to collect the series I've wanted forever without spending hundreds of dollars on each(of course I've spent hundreds of dollars over time... ;D.
I've got the complete perfect(both english and japanese audio) sets of:
Cowboy Bebop-3 disks, $36
Cowboy Bebop movie(Japanese) $15
Saiyuki-3 disks, $36
Hellsing-2 disks, $26
Fruits Basket-3 disks, $36
X-3 disks, $34(used)
Rune Soldier Louie-3 disks, $36
Wolf's Rain-3 disks, $36 + OVAs $15
Haibane Renmai-2 disks, $17
Fullmetal Alchemist pt 1(1-26)3 disks, $36
Naruto-
2 box sets(1: 1-25, 2: 26-50) 9 disks $65
3 individual disks-$15 each
And I'll keep buying the individual disks as they come out, when I go pick up Kaizen's stuff, I'll pick up two more volumes of Naruto and another 2 of Fullmetal Alchemist. It's a good thing there's nothing to spend money on here in Machias, so I can save up the money my Dad sends me... ;D

[Sephiroth Kaizen]

[glow=blue,4,300]*drools* It's such a splurge weekend GoGo... And it looks like in two more weeks, I'll be investing in Wolf's Rain and X, LOL.[/glow]

[Mori'Quessir]

I finally get to go with u guys next time.. SOO CAN"T WAIT.. i just dunno if i'll have money. We need to rob someone.. lol.. so i can buy Hellsing, and Naruto, Wolfs Rain,... and some other FUNNN STUFFFF! WEEEEEE!!!
I want my own headband.. a sand one, and a konoha one... weee!!!

[Ancient Goddess]

Well...another miracle happened on my computer, bittorrent actually works this time here. So I do get torrents if I can.

Buying anime.....yeah, I would have to be so freakin' in love with it before I buy it. There's always a downside to purchasing anime too, at least for me. What may be awesome now will most likely decrease my interest in a given time. I was collecting Inuyasha DVDs, and now I have a box set. I can't sell it for nearly as much as all of the money fo the DVDs accumulated. *waves fist*

But yeah, I tend to wait about a year before I go out and buy the series. If it's still great a year after I first get into it, then it's probably going to be one of my top favorites. And that is really the main reason I flock to Saturday Matenee (sp) to purchase anime.

[Sephiroth Kaizen]

[glow=blue,4,300]For bittorrents... they'll be around as long as there are animes that continue aren't licensed in America. Animes that are licensed in Japan but haven't been picked up by an American licensing company basically make it okay and perfectly legal to dl them in America. Technically, the really can't do too much about it. It's when an anime becomes licensed in America that the torrents become extremely difficult to find because the torrent suppliers would be risking way too much on trying to supply a licensed anime (illegal duplication...)

For example, Naruto may be a free torrent to us now, but if it's ever picked up by an American company we'd have to pay for it or wait for it to air on Adult Swim (or wherever). In fact, it may be happening in the near future. On narutofan.com there was a poll asking who they would prefer to pick up Naruto... but then again... the creators of Naruto want $500,000 per episode... whatever...[/glow]