The Straits Times Interactive has not one but TWO articles regarding Odex today. The first is mostly a summary of the happenings thus far along with a Justice’s opinion that Odex had not been careful enough in their dealings with the courts.

The second is a little more interesting:

A GROUP of irate anime downloaders are trying to rally other downloaders into suing Odex, a local distributor of Japanese anime.

They say they want back the money they paid Odex in settlement for their having allegedly downloaded the Japanese cartoons.

In other words, those who paid Odex money in a response to letters threatening to sue (or even received such letters) should now sue Odex over the threats, according to “FukitsuNaDouki,” a user who is putting together a petition.

The Straits Times apparently talked to four lawyers, three of whom thought that such a case would have some merit. I DO think that threatening letters is a kind of underhanded tactic. So we’ll see if this turns out to be the next step in the long-running Odex saga.

Odex: Some of you may remember a (longish) while back that Odex’s attempt to sue PacNet for the right to get user information to go along with the IP addresses of anime downloaders was stalled when a judge determined that Odex, being a licensor instead of a copyright owner, could not sue. Odex then added six Japanese companies (Gonzo, Kadokawa, Showgate, Sunrise, TV Tokyo, and Yomiuri) to the suit and PacNet has now agreed to give up the names. Odex continues to be reviled, and PacNet and Justice Woo Bih Li are no longer heroes of the anime community. If Odex sues all the downloaders and gets money from them, they could be up $9 million. Blech.
Source: TorrentFreak

ADV: ANN has an update on ADV’s title removal, including MORE titles that have been removed from the website. They also stumbled upon what was supposed to be an unpublished article on ICv2 (thanks, Google) that talked of financial problems between ADV and ARM Corp., a subsidiary of Japan Contents Investment (JCI), which has also invested in ADV. The article, according to ICv2 CEO Milton Griepp, is not correct as it’s currently written, though it’s possible that ADV’s issues will turn out to be related– which is, of course, something no one knows for sure just now. ADV has still not commented officially, but ANN also notes that various anime retailers say they have NOT received any cancellation notices for these titles from ADV.
Source: ANN

Bandai Visual USA: Those prices are still crazy. Just thought I’d let you know.

Channel News Asia reports that Odex is back in court with PacNet in Singapore today, trying to prove that although they are a sub-licensee, they have the right to take PacNet to court to try and force them to give up info on subscribers who downloaded anime.

But even if Odex loses the appeal, apparently Odex’s lawyer has announced that currently undisclosed Japanese companies have made an application to join the suit as complaining parties in the event that the courts maintain that Odex isn’t the right party to go after the downloaders.

No date has been set for the appeal’s ruling, and the names of the companies who have potentially signed on to the suit have not been revealed.

So I caught word that a hacker had taken over Odex’s website and left a message about the company’s evil-ness. It’s truly heinous and makes otaku look terrible. I mean, first off, look at the color scheme. Pink? yeah, okay, if you’re a hacker and a 12-year-old girl.

As much as it’s a relief to be told once and for all that Odex is bad AND evil– not just one or the other! –the message is painful to read…mostly because the grammar s atrocious. “What happended?” “Don’t get catched?” Maybe you ARE a 12-year-old hacker.

You sure are making us anime fans look smart!

(If you get the commercial reference in the title, KUDOS TO YOU.)

An Odex employee has confirmed to the blog Dark Mirage that BayTSP made a mistake with those letters– the whole thing was a big bad booboo.

Overzealous anime licensors say the darnedest things!

…See what I did there?

I’ve been in the midst of site-moving hell (not this site, obviously, but another one), and it was nice to have a little break after all those first dates ♥ But I have the first episode of Juushin Enbu to watch and review, so look for that, probably tomorrow.

In the meantime, a lot of little bits and pieces, so here they are:

• The Odex Saga, now with 100% more TV exposure!
• Pacific Media Expo guests, including Code Geass C.C. seiyuu Yukana. Mmm, delicious pizzabutt.
• Japan Probe watch: 1 in 17 teens in Shibuya have contracted an STD, and NOVA teachers are going on strike. (About damn time.) Also: maid PC cases. But only the important half! *cough*
• The first-ever Japanese animators’ union. Speaking of “about damn time…”
• ComiPress is posting translator John Gallagher’s translation of a book about obscure manga artists in the ’60s and ’70s titled Manga Zombie. Sounds pretty groovy to me!

When I talked earlier about Odex possibly using a.f.k.’s subs as a reference for The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, I noted that I’d like to see some shots side-by-side. Obliviousity has provided one in which the two versions were the same word-for-word.

Someone mentioned that this is not illegal. I *believe* (but do not know for sure) that a.f.k. is based out of the U.S., so there’s kind of a fun tangle: in the U.S. once any work is completed it is considered copyrighted, even if you don’t register the copyright. So technically it could be considered copyright infringement for the translation. But the translation itself also infringes copyright, so it probably wouldn’t be protected very well in court.

But that’s all just hypothetical goofiness– no one would sue Odex over this.

However, this company actively seeks to cause financial harm to fansub downloaders. (After all, they’ve said NUMEROUS times that they’re not in it to make money, so clearly their motivation is to be a pain in the ass to downloaders, not to profit.) For a company with that attitude to use a fansubber’s translations is awfully shitty. Either you’re okay with them, or you’re not, Odex. Trying to have it both ways just makes you look like even more of a dick.

The fun never ends with Singaporean anime distributor Odex, it would seem.

In the past, Odex has been accused of using fansubs as reference material for subtitles, which leads to better subs than translating off of Hong Kong subs, which they’ve also been accused of. But surely now that they’re going after people for downloading fansubs they would quit doing anything like that, right? RIGHT?

Well, at least ONE blogger thinks that Odex “very heavily referenced” a.f.k’s subs of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. I’m waiting to see some shot-by-shot comparisons, but damn.

Oh, also, when Odex offered an olive branch to fansub downloaders– that they cease downloading by a certain date and then won’t be fined –many asked what would happen to those who had already been sent letters requesting money? Well, they’re still being persued, apparently– at least one downloader claims he has actually received a phone call from Odex requesting the money.

Oh, Odex. I’m so glad you’re not American.

Gosh, it feels like it’s been AGES since I posted about Odex! The news this time is pretty benign, however: the company is taking the downloader witch hunt online and softening the first blow. The downloader(s) in question will receive an e-mail warning first, and they will have the opportunity to promise not to download again. If they are caught downloading again, however, they will be considered a second offender, at least by Odex, which could potentially increase the damages the downloader would be forced to pay if a lawsuit made it to court. (Though of course, they virtually all will settle outside of court.)

This is a bit more fair, though I’m skeptical about whether it would actually curb downloading. I don’t think this whole affair has really stopped anyone who hasn’t actually been hit with a letter. If you got a warning letter from Odex (or an equivalent in your country), would you stop? I wonder…

Effective immediately, Odex will not send ANY of their demanding letters to downloaders– providing that they stop downloading anime today (or, well, September 3rd, which is now over in Singapore). That’s according to this forum thread, anyway (apparently if you post very important information on a forum you aren’t required to go through an editorial check, btw– “If an individual stop downloading now…”).

Okay, I admit it, offering amnesty is pretty cool. But I’m skeptical that it will see much by way of results…