Subtitle Legalities...

[EpheMeroN]

I have no idea about this, but would sharing subtitles off a dvd be considered illegal? So far I've looked at it like how people release fansubs for anime online. They're just subtitles, but I know how tight the laws are these days concerning anything media-related.

[mpucoder]

Subtitles are copyrighted, therefore distributing them without the express permission of the copyright owner is infringement. Note that I did not say it is illegal, because with permission, it may be done.

[unmei]

also note that fansubs are not subtitles ripped off a DVD, but translated from the audio track by those who distribute them.

[zilog jones]

Yes - there's nothing illegal (AFAIK) about fansubs being distributed as just the subtitles (though being distrubuted with the video is questionable) as they are usually regarded as freely distributable.

But subtitles ripped straight from a copyrighted DVD is definately illegal.

[midi]

Sorry, but distributing just the fan translated subtitles is still illegal. It is an unauthorized translation and violates the author's rights as outlined by the Berne Convention:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/treaties/berne/8.html

There are actually some exceptions for translation for developing countries/rare languages and whatnot outlined in there somewhere as well, but they specifically forbid English. ;p

Regardless, it would be nice to see more scripts and less hard subbing from the fansubbing community. Right now they often butcher the video by transcoding it and trying to get the file size as small as possible despite adding all those sharp edged subs. Not to mention the occasions where they are taking 120FPS raws (meant to capture animation with parts produced at both 24 and 30 fps well) and convert it into jerky 24FPS which I see happening all the time as well.

[zilog jones]

Or they just don't understand telecine at all and make field-blended 30fps - eww!

[shevegen]

Just add in some extra words and let a script strip these words based on a PGP like key (or whatever), and say it is a poem.

I want to see a court case deciding that you are not allowed to write poems in a way you
want to do, in fact I would love to see a court case tieing you into corporate morale world
Hmm the idea can certainly be improved ;)

[Pyscrow]

also note that fansubs are not subtitles ripped off a DVD, but translated from the audio track by those who distribute them.

Which probably is considered plagerism.

[ppera2]

Ripped subtitles are copyrighted, but translations...
It is discutable. It may be even good for publisher of original that someone translates it free. It may increase selling :)

There are some sites on the WEB where you can download complete movie scripts.

I would not compare translating of movie speech with translation of books.

[midi]

I would not compare translating of movie speech with translation of books.Well if you want to see it that way, then it is still made illegal by the adaptation clause in article 2:(3) Translations, adaptations, arrangements of music and other alterations of a literary or artistic work shall be protected as original works without prejudice to the copyright in the original work.Otherwise you could just go watch a movie, write it down, and start calling the written version yours (which selling or giving it away for free is basically doing). Doesn't work.

If fansubbing were considered a a good thing to everyone, then subbers would be able to contact the companies involved and work with permissions granted. Lately the exact opposite has been occurring. A big anime company (Media Factory) has been sending C&D letters to fansubbers for works not even licensed in the US yet.

I have to say, I agree with them. The majority of my friends who watch fansubs will only buy DVDs for series they haven't been able to see fansubbed and ignore buying otherwise.