Thursday, July 19, 2007

Odex vs Singapore Anime Fans

Odex, a Singaporean company that licenses and releases anime here, has started to take action against people who download anime fansubs of series from Japanese companies that it represents. The letter threatens legal action. Here's a copy (PDF). I understand that several letters have been issued to downloaders since June this year. One of those who got the letter is this anime fan. From Lawliet Shi Hao:
Oh god. I feel so guilty now.
My mum called AVPAS ytd.
They say that if my mum admit guilty now.
They will settle it out of court.
And yeah, this has become my mum's case. Cause she was the one that signed for the internet line. I feel so sorry for her. Cant really express my feelings well now.
Anyway if she admits guilty, it would be depend on whether the japan anime company wants to charge her.
If yes, she might have to go to jail, and pay a fine of near 10k.
Shit, god please dont make this happen. Please.
Anyway if i admit guilty i will have a high chance of going boys home.
Either way it sucks. Having really bad thoughts on life now.
I still want to take my exams peacefully and go up to poly all these one leh.
Dont want to have any record in my life...

And for all the sgreans here. Tell you something.
Its totally totally not worth it. Please stop dling anime now.
Now i dont even dare to ddl. Cause i have no idea what odex will do to contact with several ddl provider.
Its hard its hard. But please try to curb your anime addiction.
And if you think that "ah ya wont so suay kana me one la"
Please just dump your mentality into the rubbish bin.
Cause thats what i thought, and i got owned now.
So far, Odex's crackdown is directed at people downloading anime using Bittorent. Here's how Odex caught these people. From Darkonlore:
We(referring to the anime community) has noticed that the ones caught are all using bittorrent. This is due to the fact that each bittorrent client keeps info of who it is connected to (IPs), and is easily accessible by anyone who use the same .torrent file. There are also trackers that would list the IPs of users who are currently connected to it. So just take down the SG IPs and ask the ISPs for their info. Encryption of data in that aspect is pointless.
Odex's actions have created a furore among the anime community in Singapore. Anime fans feel that by preventing people from downloading fansubs, Odex is slaugthering anime in this country. Many also said that they have no choice but not to buy Odex VCDs because they are of a very poor quality. From MavericK:
Well, let’s see, ODEX basically has almost monopolized the distribution of anime in Singapore, so we kinda have no choice but to go to their goods. But what do they do in return? Lousy resoultion/quality, seriously bad dubbings (though they’re in dual-sound), and exorbitant prices. How exorbitant, you say? Let’s see, S$29.90 for a vcd box…which contains only around ~10 episodes. That’s like $3 for an episode. Is it worth the money then? The resolution is so bad, you dun wanna maximise to full-screen when watching them on your computer. The dubbing, the hell, you would RUSH to set the audio to the original Japanese before the characters start to speak.
I'm not a hardcore anime fan (I do watch a few now and then) but I just had to highlight this after reading that so many people are furious with what Odex has done. Yes, piracy is wrong but I don't think we can include downloading anime fansubs in the same category as downloading a movie or music. Most anime titles are not well known. It is only through fansubs that people in Singapore will watch them. By preventing the downloading of fansubs, the chances that people will go to a video store and buy a new title or series are slim and that means in the long term, Odex will suffer. Now that Odex has infuriated the small but closely knit anime community in Singapore by threatening them with ridiculous fines or even jail term, many people have decided to boycott the company. Who's going to buy your poor quality VCDs now Odex? Smart move? I don't think so. Lawliet Shi Hao, the guy whose mum has settled his case with Odex out of court, said it best in his post:
BUT STILL. I NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER WILL BUY ANY PRODUCTS FROM ODEX.
Good luck Odex.

38 comments:

Anonymous said...

They must be earning more suing people than selling their vcds.

Anonymous said...

fuck odex!

Anonymous said...

Oh well, there's always YouTube and other video sharing sites rite.

Anonymous said...

wa lao i thought i go download some today. now scared liao.

Anonymous said...

it's silly for them to anger the anime community here. its a small community. no one will buy their anime then.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm, don't they have a right to protect their IP?

But maybe instead of suing the downloaders, they should invite them for a discussion and educate them about the situation.

Engage the Singapore Anime community, and the company will reap the rewards in the end.

And it helps if they improve the quality of their vcds.

Anonymous said...

i must tell my frenz to stop downloading. sianz!

Anonymous said...

So obvious it is about money. Odex just want to earn several thousand bucks easily.

Anonymous said...

Crap products and yet they want us to buy from them. Pui.

Anonymous said...

Are ISPs in Singapore allowed to give their customers information without a court order?

Anonymous said...

Thank god there's YouTube!

Anonymous said...

SO serious one. Download anime also can go jail. What fuck!

Anonymous said...

well done odex.

may you close down soon.

Sarah said...

Man, that sucks!!!

Anonymous said...

odex down to ur grave!!!! fark u

ddeadHARTx said...

You FUCKING DISGRACE people who buy anime.

Anonymous said...

ODex the exploiter... heh! Is all i can a call them. WHen the business judgement they made are bad.. they make use of the law to make up for their loss. I agree with Mr BIG.. "They must be earning more suing people than selling their vcds."

Yes la... ODEX bought the rights.. but it is their freaking choice, especially when ppl can get it freely. It is like if it is free... u watch la... buy? well probably not. Frankly, without internet... i doubt they will sell well.... and anime would not get that popular if it were not the FANSUBS. That is a FACT.

People probably would not watch anime if they have to pay for it. But when the techonolgy freely feeds the community.. who is to blame? One can argue la.. free does not mean one can download. Then what abt streaming? they wanna stop that too??? come on... lol! (thank god there is You tube!.. heh!)

Another point... Japan promotes anime via the fan subs and allow the free distribution. I just dun see why they are coming after those that downloaders, except that the law gives them the right to make them pay. It evolves around money. So now.. ODEX no need to sell so hard.. they just neeed to find out who download.. then make them pay. It's purely exploiting... those who got caught simply are FORCED to buy. And it simply limits the popularity of anime to be expanded.

Again.. Odex go after the downloaders.. easy prey... that's evil man! Down right evil!!!

Heh! Well..Why dun they go after those that upload them? They can't... EVIL... down right , evil! heh!

Ban Internet la. (Sorry! Just got emotional!lol! ) This is what i call infringements of FREEDOM. And many collaborators... the ISPs... singnet, starhub and even the government.... wow.. great... i am waiting for the day to see arts being less commercial.

If i wanna support the artist.. i send money to them directly. Money is not the only motivator for artists. But if one is good.. it shows... i still pay for CDs even i download them. MEaning.. if it is worth it.. i pay.. end of story. The mechanism is purely commercial... :p

Good luck to us all ! Hope we'll not be picked! heh!

^^

Anonymous said...

Cannot download for free? Don't watch lor. Period. I wun buy either. So ODEX, you wun earn my money also. heh! Fact is such. This is what u are getting into. Catching those that get free is another means of income i guess.

But hey, it simply means.... less ppl watching anime lor. So ... can consider the chance of popularizing anime is lower. Good job, Odex!

Thanks to them ... :p

Anonymous said...

since they are tracking down Bit torrent i wonder if it is possiblle to hide our IPs anyway they SUCKS!!!

Anonymous said...

Sad to say today i just Received a Letter from ODEX. :(

Anonymous said...

odex wanna challenge us? come la u wan sue us from downloading fansub anime we gather up even more pple to boycott your company. see who win. im hereby wish your company close down soon, odex. cheers guys

Anonymous said...

Wa GG man ODEX, SIAN DE

HOW? ALL PEOPLE BOYCOTT ANIME?

Anonymous said...

congratulation odex you are now on the way to close down!
Me and my friend had decided not to buy any low quality, crappy anime produce from odex.

O ut of line
D ead for sure
E nd of the road (no U turn)
X<

Anonymous said...

And we are talking about human rights... Where's our rights when the ISPs are being coerced to provide the IP Address to Odex juz coz of the court order?

If I can't d/l it, I will rather go online, order from overseas and pay more, than purchase it from Odex. With the way they are doing things the way they are now, they will juz incur the wrath of more anime fans and we will soon see the downfall of the company. Please, this is NOT the way to curb illegal downloads / file sharing. So what if the person does not have the spare cash to make a out of court settlement? They go to jail? All for downloading an anime? Have some conscience,Odex.

Anonymous said...

I WILL DEFINITELY NOT BUY ANY ODEX SHITTY PRODUCT. THEY ARE WORSE THAN PIRATED STUFF. ODEX IS THE BIGGEST PIRATES OF ALL.......... COS A $1.50 PIRATED VCD HAS A CLEARER VISUAL AND SOUND AND SUBBING THAN ODEX TRASH.

AND DON'T WORRY TO THAT ODEX SING THING, YOU CAN START TO PLAN FOR YOUR RETIREMENT, COS ITS GOING TO HAPPEN EARLIER THAN YOU EXPECTED.

'BOYCOTT ODEX', ALL ANIME FANS LIFE TOP PRIORITY!!!!

GOOD LUCK

Anonymous said...

STOP WATCH ANIME....NO ANIME...FUCK ANIME...

Anonymous said...

Just so everyone knows, the IP address doesn't identify the person or machine. This is not like owning a handphone where the hp number is unique to the subscriber. The IP actually identifies the network device, in most cases, the router or modem. It is a general number given to the router and everyone connected to that router will ALL have the same IP address. This is similar to that of an intranet, where all computers behind the router resembles 'one very busy computer'. This is called Network Address Translation (NAT), if anyone's interested.

To go even further, you can even say that it's not possible for Odex to prove that you even downloaded the file to begin with (though you might have to prove how that file got onto your computer in the first place...:P). The reason is because the internet is a network of networks. When you d/l something, an IP transaction initiates from the sender to the receiver. However, the data comes in packets. Since the internet is a network of networks, those packets don't arrive through a fixed path. Every individual packet might have come through a different route to your computer, and once the transaction completes, there is nothing that stores the information of the sender (even if it does, remember that the IP address doesn't uniquely identifies a person/machine). Hence it is completely untraceable.

With this in mind, it is then hard for Odex to prove that you are the one who d/l anime illegally. The best they can prove is the suspected file somehow appeared through your router, but they have no idea who did it and so cannot sue anyone in particular.

Anonymous said...

4 ppl who still donno which anime is on the hit list try look up on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odex
i not sure how update is it but i it better then nothing

Anonymous said...

Dear ODEX,

You seemed to be the singapore rightful justice but do you know that you are using japanese anime as a katana to kill anime lovers in singapore?

Well, i can see that you are not happy of your sales this years but can you see what the problems behind?

I think you can't because you yourself, Mr. SING, had started counting money. Maybe be later you start do advertisement on your "Product" which i called it trash.

Wow, money come so easily to ur pocket without going any lawsuit to the seeders instead go after the downloaders which is as young as 13 years old or even younger.

I saw your great letter of undertaking. i'm impressed of your 'work'. It's is as the same as blackmailing. Peoples whom doesn't know how to handle this letter will get screwed after few years later if signed. Just like signing a contract to let you people to screwed.

Let talk about your 'products'.
No need to say. It is trash. It's worst than pirated quality which is cost even cheaper. You are forcing people to buy pirated VCDs or even DVDs, or 'encouraged' to buy. All this because you do not even care for your customers views. I wonder what happens to the AVPAS personals?

Don't they see how bad a video can become?

If you can't produces a good VCDs or DVDs, then please quit before something can happened.

This few days i can see alot of things happening. I can feel riot, anger, or even something greater emotions that i cannot describe.

I wonder news have travel to japan?
I wan to know what are the views from japanese. Take a look on there artwork and what they can see? Maybe they can see something what we can't see.

As far as i concern, the ODEX have the ability to 'catch' downloaders using Bit torrent. Any news on Direct download, ftp, irc?

I, myself is a anime lover. Everytime i watch an anime, the fansubber always put this quote," Please stop distribute when the DVDs is out, please buy and support. you know is good"

Rather, i will buy or import US DVDs because its BETTER than your JUNK, TRASH.

Regards,
AnimeLoverZ

Anonymous said...

fuck la fucking odex stupid fucker. quality like fuck still want us to fucking buy their fucked up cds at such fucking high cost. confirm fucking close down one lor. wait and fucking see luh. damn fucking pissed =.=.....

Anonymous said...

To Odex/Mr. Stephen Sing,
From what has happened,
I can tell that a really heartless scheme has been set. Do you not know of the word HUMAN? Being sued for SGD3000 - SGD5000 is not funny.
I would smell a riot, or even a fire in the near future. If its not the company, Its your house. Even if you are trying to get AnimeLovers to stop dling and buying your products, have some consideration of what prices u put on your products and what kind of quality you give your buyers!
I Myself would say your products suck. Its not because of downloaders that your sales decrease Its your very product that doesnt attract buyers for goodness sake. Even a loser knows where he's gone wrong. But you, your not a loser arent you, Your just a little imp waiting to pull cards on innocent people.
I guess thats all i'm saying.
No matter the situation, i'm never bringing myself down to buy ODEX products, seriously, worst then those pirated VCD/DVD you see out there.
Short Description of its product : Random Subbing OR Even Dubbing. Video Quality is SO BAD I MEAN REALLY BAD!! and i guess thats it.. SCREW YOU ODEX! CHEAP TRICKS!
Love, Toygun~ Anime Lover~

Anonymous said...

Maybe all the people that receive the letter can gather and consult each other whether to launch a class action suit against Odex. To save cost and show Odex that they are not suckers. The link below explains why Odex case is filmsy
http://digitalmusic.weblogsinc.com/2006/08/07/the-riaa-vs-john-doe-a-laypersons-guide-to-filesharing-lawsui/

Anonymous said...

Maybe we can get some company, e.g comics connections to parallel import anime directly from japan or form u.s.a. Which comes with way better sub-titles, not to mention quality...

but yeah, what odex is doing sucks... sucks to be us with assholes like that abusing the law...

Anonymous said...

Can the anime community then lodged a complaint against Odex to the commission against anti-cmpetition? Since Odex is monopolizing all the anime licenses and is now preventing the consumers from seeking alternatives, aren't they engaging in anti-competition tactics?

Anonymous said...

Fuck You Lah! Odex You Suck making my
friend fine for 5k, if not go to Jail. I decided I will Go Buy Pirated
they resolution/quality is Damned too Good then Odex *U*. Pirated VCD Anime is worth it, and more even i don't buy from pirated i will go to ebay and buy from Other or America.

Pray For The Day ODEX Fuck His Own Pussy and get owned by their Pussy.
Pui... Pui... Pui...

Odex said...

Hey Guys I am Odex i like to fuck your money up side down. So that i don't need to sell more VCD then usual. Fuck Odex Ass. You Suck And Everyone just hate you especially Stephn Sing Your Toast if I saw you walking down the road i just ran down with my car and knock on you and trample you 20 times until your mum can't identify you. You Faggot Money Freak!

Pray For Your Down Fall to arrive sooner then you predicted hahaha..

No Anime No Odex Buy From OVERSEA or PIRATED

Anonymous said...

there is still crunchyroll and youtube, why would we want to buy from odex? lousy quality and everything. duh. too bad odex. boycotted. or however you spell it.

Anonymous said...

omg my cousin just got odexed.

the thing i felt that they are making use of the situation to make money rather to actually stop illegal downling.

since the first batch of letters was send out , early august (i read it on tnp) i think.. i call up my cousin and warned him about it.

my cousin actually stop since that day. ODEX already make his point. shouldn't they just stop sending out letters ? people had already been frightened and stop downloading. should odex also take a step down ?

which also means that they are profiting the situation, with no comparison.

i do wish everyone would stop buying their products.

we ought to do something to educate general public that although odex is not the only company that we can get our anime from.

we do hope that our local home video retailer could bring in more legitimated code 1 dvd

example
burst angel boxset code 1 from amazon are only sell at us$56, whereas odex burst angel sell at $79.80 (in 2 sets). i still find it more worth it to get the code 1 version as the quality is better.

as for streaming in youtube, i just heard that epl are sueing them.

I remember i did a preorder for my full metal alchemist boxset (in 4 sets) in a local.. its take nearly half a year to release the 1st 2 set. and the other 2 set i told them also quite long , until i was called by the retail shop to get my refund. i am very unhappy about the way the run things. they are full of craps

maybe its true they are killing their own business over time.

PLEASE DO TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW THAT STOP BUYING THEIR PRODUCTS!

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