How Not to Respond to a License Notice: Roxism HQ and Nozomanu Fushi no Boukensha

Okay, so... After reading through this whole thread, I think I need to highlight one of the replies from J-Novel before anything. (Bold made by me)

So... For everyone talking about how they don't have rights to the WN... Unless you want to distrust his words (well, you have total right to do that, but I'm working on the assumption he has no reason to lie about it), J-novel can and most likely will get license for the WN in case their current License doesn't cover it already.

And judging from this reply...

It probably does.




With that said, I think people should learn to read the title of threads.

This isn't a thread to simply badmouth a group, highlight how nice they are or anything similar... It's a thread talking about how not to react to a takedown request.

Putting it simply, when someone e-mails you about something, common courtesy assumes you reply to that e-mail... In the case of business, you'd use those e-mails to negotiate how to handle those situations.

I know of translators that simply said "Hey, X novel (that they were translating) was licensed by J-novel club, so please support them and read it there!" this is nice and ethical to say the least, but it doesn't need to be the action of someone that still wants to keep translating the WN.

Still, if one wishes to translate the unpolished version of a licensed work after receiving a takedown request... It seems only right for them to reply to the takedown request and negotiate appropriately.

They don't need to accept it, but ignoring it altogether and putting a label of [FANFIC] on all of their chapters instead of replying to an e-mail is ridiculous.

I'm no member of J-novel, but I think that is what they wanted to highlight with this thread. Answering people when they contact you doesn't hurt.

 

Somehow it just doesn’t work when you’re mentioning it yourself anyways~

If you said “mentioning qidian before anyone else mentions it in the thread” then I get it~

 

First of all, is your keyboard missing the comma button? It is impossible to decipher what you are trying to say... Secondly, a licensing agreement is not PUBLIC; Only the involved parties have access to it and perhaps the lawyers working on the arrangement, neither is it open to review.

 

Flawless argument. I have nothing to say.

 

Shamelessness lvl chinese

 

I don't know why people in this thread are talking about perjury. You can only commit perjury if you knowingly mislead any judicial body under oath or affirmation. Sending DMCA takedown requests is a far, far cry from that—even if they are false. This will never make it anywhere near a judge.

 

I was sent to this thread from an imageboard where none of the respondents had anything good to say about Roxism, or anybody who paywalls MTL content in the first place. So I may have bias coming from that direction.

With that out of the way, all I have to say is that to my knowledge OP has never started any shit or sent any DMCAs with any other translators who weren't fully compliant with requests to remove translated webnovel chapters. For example

• Raising the Dead didn't agree to remove early chapters of In Another World With My Smartphone, and were not bothered anymore than that. They also didn't make any idiotic [FANFIC] claims and they only take donations, no Patreon paywalls.
  
• yukkuri free time were supposed to remove more chapters each time a new volume of Genjitsushugisha was released in English, but they only removed the first volume and then stopped and are still actively translating chapters which already have official English LN version.
• Isekai Soul Cyborg translating Isekai Maou to Shoukan Shoujo Dorei Majutsu removed volume 1, but haven't removed volume 2 yet even though it's for sale in English now, and he also has a Patreon. But his highest tier is only $15, and he doesn't do MTL.
  
• Wujigege is translating WN chapters of Uchi no Musume which afaik have already been released in their LN version in English, but he's not getting DMCAed or public drama started.

To me, having read the whole thread, the reason OP suddenly changed tack here is solely because of Roxism HQ's utterly ridiculous Patreon paywalls taking in thousands of dollars a year for machine translation, plus their braindead use of fanfic tag must have been especially offensive. Oh and of course OP is trying to advertise his services by pretending he's just putting perspective for how much Roxism's price is a ripoff while also giving spiel about how much value for money his product is. But that's how a businessman goes, so it's only expected.

Still, rather than a private issue of them refusing to respond to request (because other WN translators who didn't obey request or stick to request have been left alone) it's a more open issue of attempting to call out Roxism HQ's ridiculous pricing and poor use of fanfic label (in the past, 'fanfic' usually at least pretends it is not connected to the original translators). Doing this only threatens to bring down the hammer on other fanfic IMO as they become tainted by association.

As for whether NU users will be aware of the paywall if NU doesn't link to paywall chapters, I say that of course they will become aware of the paywall because every nonpaywalled chapter has a direct link to Patreon on it with promise of more chapters, and I quote,

It's obvious what Daily Blessing is.

 

Why did you keep mention that their translations are "shit"?
Why did you keep attack them and paint yourself as a victim?

That shameless self-promotion tho.

 

What this thread made me feel like



At first i was in agreement with op that the other party was pretty shameless. then reading some more, it started to go down a rabbit hole, that left my mind pretty brain dead.

This last part of your post, was kinda over the top. Your assuming how the community is, like what ACTUAL Fans are. The community here, will just do as how the feel bro. And if some feel like using their money to give it to whoever, its their prerogative.

You could off just done a PSA, type thing and inform the community. But you made it all dramatic, even your thread title is pretty Clickbaity.

I'm not giving advice, just voicing an opinion.

 

i want support official translation like yours but sadly cant, people like me which live in indonesia with minimum income 1.287.600 idr or 93,4$ /month cant afford it.

 

If you read my post i don't have a problem with them sending a DMCA, i'm not even defending them using the WN/LN difference cause idk if it's legal or not. The post however makes the original poster seem like a sour person cause some TL didn't want to listen to them and thus bring to stir drama using their rep.

>Still, rather than a private issue of them refusing to respond to request (because other WN translators who didn't obey request or stick to request have been left alone) it's a more open issue of attempting to call out Roxism HQ's ridiculous pricing and poor use of fanfic label (in the past, 'fanfic' usually at least pretends it is not connected to the original translators). Doing this only threatens to bring down the hammer on other fanfic IMO as they become tainted by association.

No this should've been a private issue it doesn't matter if the patreon goal was set to a thousand dollars it's none of their business calling out a TL on a fan aggregator site forum to stir drama. If they have a legal right to the WN, they should've just dmcaed and taken them down privately.

Also if i'm reading you right it's the fanfic label you're complaining about not the issue that they refused to comply with a take down requests by using those 4 TLs as examples, in which case what's the point of this even more then, it's not about whether they complied with C&D it's cause they tried to evade it by changing it to fanfic instead of just blatently ignoring it. In which case my point still stands this should've been a private issue between the two, a TL's absurd patreon goals or quality of their TL isn't a legal issue it's more so a moral one.

It doesn't matter if there's a link to a paywalled chapter it's not on the NU page for the series itself, you have to actively search for it by going directly to their patreon, While there's already a licensed tag on Series page tagging j-novel directly.

Also as for those 4 TL's you mentioned, what you need to add to the end of it is not dmcaed yet, and cyborg's patreon was reported and shutdown and he was threatened when they licensed the slave magic series according to his PSA. So your example doesn't even work, the only reason there's no drama is cause he willingly took it down.

Which kinda shows my point of this thread having no purpose besides stiring drama, i'm willing to bet they sent a takedown request to all 4 of those Tls, and yet reason he's attacking roxismhq isn't on whether it's legal or not he's constantly talking about the quality of their TL and patreon goals.

 

I disagree, if you read my post I'm saying he's sour because they're blatantly profiteering, as nobody else who refused to listen to it them triggered him to bring drama.

Would it have been fine for literally anyone else to have called them out then, someone who doesn't stand to profit personally? A thousand dollars is absolutely ridiculous and somebody has to call this kind of thing out as it reflects badly on the entire fan translation scene. Yes, OP has a vested interest in having them go away, but I disagree that it's a private matter because the paywall affects everyone who wants to read Roxism's stuff, not only OP's business. Roxism refusing to comply is a private matter, Roxism making thousands of dollars to run Google Translate is not.

I don't have a problem with fan translations labeling themselves as fanfics to try and escape being found in a Google search by the publishers, I have a problem with this fan translation failing to even take any steps to make it at all plausible that they could even be a fanfic with no relation to the fan translation by, for example, moving to a new website which other fanfic have done when their old location was told to stop. Adding a "Fanfic" label to an already identified fan translation does absolutely nothing to hide them and only makes other fanfic look more suspicious, which is bad for the whole scene.

If they aren't DMCAed by now, it's unlikely they're going to be DMCAed ever. Regardless, my main point was that they didn't trigger drama, so refusal to cooperate isn't in itself a reason for drama.

If you actually read Cyborg's post, he says his patreon wasn't reported, but that it would be reported if he put up more paywall chapters. And in fact, in spite of his claim that he would shut it down, if you actually visit the page Cyborg's patreon is still running. He hasn't posted anything new there to be paywalled so he won't be reported for it, but the page says he still has patrons and is taking in $28 a month. Its functioning as a donation box rather than a paywall, as it should do.

In conclusion what I'm trying to say is that OP's problem isn't with people not listening to him, it's with fan translators paywalling chapters.

Edit: I found a Reddit post on /r/lightnovels from a few days ago, where OP explains his reasoning.

On this basis it sounds very much like what he dislikes is fan translators who paywall stuff. So cyborg's Patreon isn't reported because there's no more paywall.

 

Well, yes, all of those TLs have gone on record that they were asked to remove only those chapters corresponding to already released English LN volumes. They never received legal DMCA takedown notices, which are legally different from a simple request email. You can ask them directly.

As for him talking about the patreon goals, the crappy Patreon paywall is exactly the point, is it not?

What's even the argument then? you just said he's posting this cause he's sour this is an aggregate forum to talk about TL of series not to complain about a specific TL's quality and patreon paywalls which is entirely up to them to do.

Roxismhq making thousands if they even are cause you'd have to be a pretty big sucker to be paying 100 bucks for service. Is a Private issue it's not something illegal nor is it something they're the only ones doing, and it definitely isn't the place of a official publisher to try to start drama then complain about a MTL's quality and absurd paywalls. If it was illegal then why even make a post on an aggregate forum to begin with just DMCA away, the fans won't complain cause a way faster alternative just picked up the series.

Your whole fanfic argument is a nonissue, you're complaining about them not making a new website to host a specific series to hide and continue translating a series barely even translating to begin. Which kinda misses the whole point of you complaining about them translating and profiting from it, because if your argument is they're profitting from it then why the heck does it matter if they make an entire new site or not.

Your two arguments one that they're profitting, and 2 that they're not taking means to hide it, neither of which actually defends the original post's purpose of trying to get them to stop translating the series as a whole. You're saying it's fine for them to continue it as fanfic if they made a new site which doesn't actually do anything to help the situation.


>If they aren't DMCAed by now, it's unlikely they're going to be DMCAed ever. Regardless, my main point was that they didn't trigger drama, so refusal to cooperate isn't in itself a reason for drama.

Ya it probably won't but do you know why i'm saying he's just doing this to stir unnecessary drama, it's cause the original poster is still using their quality of TL as part of their argument in starting this drama, he can't use that argument for any of those groups cause they aren't presumably MTL and are far more popular.

Isekai cyborg's patreon page was entirely removed from his website, you're right it is still up but it may as well be inactive and dead given that he was made to stop posting on it.

>In conclusion what I'm trying to say is that OP's problem isn't with people not listening to him, it's with fan translators paywalling chapters

and i'm saying it's not TL's position to be outing out a specific TL group and trying to start drama on an aggregate forum by complaining about it, under the premise that they didn't listen to his take down notice.

 

You said he was sour about them not listening to him, I'm saying he's sour because they're ripping people off. If I had to speculate I might OP used to be a fansubber from a time when fan translations were done for free, but that's a wild hypothesis.

It's not illegal to charge money for copyrighted content? Am I being trolled?

Perhaps not, but that wasn't my point.

Are you being obtuse on purpose? Sloppy use of fanfic disguise puts all fanfics in danger.

Have you even read the Smartphone or Genjitsushugisha TLs? They are unapologetically MTL.

It's still taking in money, and it wasn't a cause for drama, because as you said he's not posting paywall chapters there anymore.

My point isreferring back to something you said here:

He's not sour because they aren't listening, it's because they're horrible profiteers. Whether or not this is appropriate behavior is outside the scope of this point.

 

Yes, it is illegal.

For a variety of reasons... For now, see the quote from reddit that was linked.

They can and will make them take it down, they can do it because it's illegal.

As for why making a thread here... Why not? Can't you out someone that is blatantly doing something unethical and illegal just because you're involved in the process?

Labeling a translation as fanfic is just plain ridiculous, it's definitely not one, they deserve any hate they get, the 100$ patreon just makes it worse.

... Sure, one can argue that they could have kept the identity of which site did that as anonymous, they messed up a bit on that part, but I don't think they're in the wrong for calling such an outrageous move out.

 

if it is illegal then by all means dmca away i never said they shouldn't do that.

>As for why making a thread here... Why not?

Cause it makes it seem like the OP is sour someone didn't comply with their dmca and is now using their rep to bash on them for something besides licensing reasons, their quality and patreon paywalls no matter how ridiculous it is.

I didn't defend their practice of using fanfic to circumvent the take down request, the guy i replied to did but just said they should've hid it better. I don't actually care about it either way cause a presumably better quality and way faster TL is picking it up.

>Sure, one can argue that they could have kept the identity of which site did that as anonymous, they messed up a bit on that part, but I don't think they're in the wrong for calling such an outrageous move out.

Then we're in agreement, i don't have a problem with them calling out the practice though i don't really think it's their position to do, the issue i have is the OP seems sour about it and is leveraging their reputation to stir up drama related to a specific group and using their translation quality and patreon paywalls as the reasons to bash on them instead of whether or not they're infringing on copyright.

 

Ermmm I don't translate Uchi Musume anymore. Was supposed to translate Genji...Realist Kingdom but decided against it for the same reason. Not worth the trouble.
I have spoken to translators who refuse to translate Kadokawa's works as a principle

Sorry but their action is normal because Sam used to be a fan subber and probably translator so it hit close to home.
Also expecting humans to not do things that are selfish is naive.
To me, it proves that Sam is human and not some SkyNet Bot

 

Ah ok, my apologies, I hadn't checked your site recently. Did you ever receive an email from OP asking you to stop?

 

Nah, just felt that it wasn't right. Even if I could easily argue that web novel was different from light novel.(Although that argument was thrown out the window on this thread lol)

 

Hey.....!!!
Dr. Wilson from House M.D also used that quote, don't you dare look down on him.

Edit: I don't know how to put pict, so google it your self https://imgur.com/a/DfV7S