The world's most popular weekly manga magazine, Shonen Jump. Currently, your favorite scanlator group is scanning it... and the publishers don't like it.
Just recently, Anime News Network had an article about Japanese and U.S. Publishers formed a coalition that is fighting against Manga Scan Sites. To be honest, I am in-between in this topic. Sure, I am reading manga scans online but I know it is like watching or downloading unauthorized anime subs online but I am also buying manga on bookstores when a certain volume is on sale. Thus, I will look on this topic on two perspectives, the publishers and the scanlators.
The publishers are the ones that are publishing a certain work done by a mangaka once they find it interesting. They will publish this title weekly. Once the readers find it good, they would release a volume of this title with no ads and with the chapters that was first seen on that month. Because of this, the publishers and the author/s will earn money because of this. Once they learned that millions of people are reading it online without paying a fee, they will be enraged. I mean, it is like having a meal without paying for it.
The scanlators are the once scanning the weekly issue of a magazine, examples include Shonen Gangan or Shonen Jump or a volume of manga. They will dismantle the magazine (If the scanlators are the collector type, they will not dismantle it) since most of these magazines are thrown away once they finished reading it. Then scan it. After scanning, they will clean it, get the script from the translator, placed the words on the specific bubbles, and upload it online. The scanlators, like the fansubbers wants the public to read the source of their favorite anime title. It is a simple cause but it offended the big ones.
In the eyes of a regular consumer, here is the case. If they will buy the manga, they will need to find the bookshelf or see if this certain title is available, be surprised on the price of this title he/she wants (In average, a manga cost $ 7.95 - $ 9.99, cheaper if you buy it here in the Philippines) and buys it. That is why the alternative for the consumer is to wait for this title to be bargained or look for it on Book Sale which an average bargained manga cost, Php 75 – Php 160 or roughly $ 1.63 - $ 3.48 or read the manga online which is free but your problem is that wait for the page to load.
If, I repeat, if you buy it, once you finished reading it, what will you do next? Collect it, sell it, and recycle it or worse especially if an otaku wants to buy it, throw it. While if you read the title online, you can save, some pages if you like this certain page, exit the site and play Farmville or Mafia Wars on Facebook.
If I were a regular consumer, I would rather read the manga online but I know that the publishers are working hard for this title to known by the public; I will wait for this title to be bargained on my favorite bookstore for me to buy it or check if it is available on Book Sale.
Both have their own advantages. While writing this article, I said earlier that I am in-between in this issue and as I am to conclude in writing this, I am still tied whether to support the publishing rights of the publishers or support the scanlators with their effort. If I support the publishers, then I should stop reading Naruto online also, I will need to look for the English translated volume on my favorite bookstore but in my place, it is rare to find a volume of Naruto. Grrr! It’s difficult to decide which side I am on!