Crypton, the creator of VOCALOID2 software Hatsune Miku and the upcoming Kagamine Rin/Ren, sent a cease-and-desist order to doujin circle CLOCK☆HEARTS.
The circle was taking preorders on its website fan-made dakimakura covers of Miku and Rin. (Sort of NSFW: Hatsune Miku | Kagamine Rin) In response, the circle has taken down the pictures of the covers and will be refunding all the preorders.
[ Source: ç—›ã„ニュース ]
Short commentary after the break.
Some 2ch posters are calling this the end of the VOCALOID phenomenon. Miku’s popularity online is largely viral in nature and depends a lot on the fans to continue to spread the meme and create new ones that prolong the franchise. As with all 2ch memes, becoming a part of Comiket is a natural process and indeed it is completely expected. Having doujin works based on your product is in a way a validation of its popularity and is part of promoting a lively community that creates room for the original IP to grow.
Walt Disney is well-known for its strict policies against doujinshi: you won’t find any Disney characters in Comiket. This doesn’t hurt them a bit because their fanbase doesn’t depend on the kind of grassroot support that many small Japanese studios live off. Moreover, the Comiket-going demographics and Disney’s target audience seldom overlap, so it really doesn’t make sense for Disney to risk damaging the public image of their IP by condoning doujin works with questionable content in exchange for no tangible gains.
But of course the same does not apply for Crypton. They very much depend on the tech-savvy otaku crowd for the success of VOCALOID2 and, with such a target audience, doujinshi is implicitly part of the deal. So it’s understandable why some people are upset over this.
That said, the fact that Crypton is not sending ceast-and-desist to other doujinshi circles indicates that perhaps this particular issue has more to do with the product itself rather than the 18+ content. I’m pretty sure there are quite a number of C73 publications being planned for Miku and her little sister (poor girls), and yet there doesn’t seem to be any indication that any other groups have received notices from Crypton.
If you take a look at the C73 product page of the doujin circle in question, it says that the covers come in two types of material and cost ï¿¥10,000 or ï¿¥14,000 respectively. That’s a frigging lot of money, especially when you consider that COSPA’s officially-licensed dakimakura covers cost around ï¿¥9,000 to ï¿¥10,000.
It is therefore questionable as to whether this kind of doujin goods really embodies the spirit of fan creations. Doujinshi and fan art allow aspiring artists to showcase their works and their love for the characters. Sure, they make money off selling the books, but the measly profit that can be made from selling a few hundred books at an annual event, after weeks/months of hard work, is really not the primary motivation behind doujinshi creation. And it’s not supposed to be.
Of course, when it comes to fan-created products, it is sometimes difficult to draw a clear line between reasonable compensation and overly-commercial interest. But in this particular case, I am leaning more towards Crypton’s side of the argument.
For one thing, I believe that doujinshi and doujin games exist to answer certain needs that cannot be fulfilled by the original right holders, whether due to the nature of the topic (i.e. 18+ material) or the lack of commercial interest to do it (i.e. 99% of doujin games). That is the value which they add to the community.
But does anyone seriously think that Crypton isn’t well on its way to creating every merchandise imaginable for its still-fresh cash cow? There are already Miku T-shirts on COSPA, an official dakimakura cover can’t be that far off. There just isn’t a need for an unofficial third party to come in, especially when it concerns a huge amount of potential profits for the original right holders.
The difference between a doujin artist and a bootlegger lies in the creativity embedded in the finished product and the intention. I think that making an overpriced dakimakura cover, with predictable art designed to locate the shortest path into the wallets of Miku fanboys everywhere, crosses an important line somewhere.
P.S. Please don’t sue me for the banner. T_T
“Sort of NSFW: Hatsune Miku | Kagamine Rin”
both the links link to the same picture?
lol I hope KKnM stocks some of those Miku shirts soon ><
Zerg: It has been fixed.
I guess the doujin dakimakura covers are more expensive than official Cospa ones because Cospa mass produces? Not really sure if this is true though.
Also, judging from Crypton’s actions, they are somewhat indirectly dropping a hint to the otaku community of a near-future confirmed release of an official Miku and/or Rin dakimakura.
This is indeed a touchy subject. One circle gets attacked (no matter what motivation they have) and the whole community jumps. The corporate industry is trying their hardest not to upset or, God forbid, anger the fan community, so they rather keep their mouths shut about doujinshi and the likes. Of course, there are companies that posted official policies regarding doujinshi (especially eroge soft houses)… I think the whole deal with doujinshi is that they apparently represent almost 15% of total “otaku” market sales. That’s a scary fact if you consider the majority of doujin goods are of derivative nature, and that the industry could be making A LOT more if consumers didn’t invest that much in an alternative “industry”. Perhaps the industry should just give fans what they want? Official Pokémon porn etc. :D
double: Not only does COSPA have to pay for the rights, it probably still makes a huuuge profit off everything it sells. I believe that with the higher price and the lack of license fee, the doujin circle stood to make a substantial profit off this endeavour, even if you consider the difference in production cost.
Anya: It’s the age-old problem of people refusing to acknowledge subtle but important differences that exist within seemingly homogeneous categories.
CLOCK☆HEARTSã®ã‚¤ãƒ©ã‚¹ãƒˆã®æ–¹ãŒã‹ã‚ã„ã„ã®ã«ã。
Pardon for any lapses of knowledge in regards to derivative creations, but in my opinion, considering Crypton’s moves, I might reason that they did this perhaps out of “image”: Vocaloid 2 might be exported to the mainstream consumers, and to ensure they can capture the maximum potential customers out there, there is a need to stop circulation of erotic derivatives of their works (whether this encompasses the “characters” or the software itself remains to be seen). This is to ensure that people will not equate Vocaloid 2 as another one of those ero-games. (My longshot conspiracy theory, as far as I see.)
Other than that, I still don’t see why I need to spend $49++ for a Haruhi-themed T-shirt. I daresay that is also profiteering, lest we’re talking about Singapore dollars to Japanese yen exchange rate (which still doens’t justify purchasing them when in local context, you can get a T-shirt with good design for perhaps half the price).
Then again, we’re talking about altruistic doujin market, where the earnings should barely cover the material and events rental costs. So what gives, should derivative creators (a.k.a. doujinshi) be able to exploit the market (capitalism), or should they respect the rights of the original creators of the products (philanthropy)?
They should definitely not be making a huge profit off it unless its an original IP. (i.e. Typemoon and Touhou.)
As for whether it’s because of the ero, I don’t think so. Vocaloid2 is seriously far from mainstream and I’m pretty sure there will still be 18+ doujinshi for it at C73.
But, well, I sense that Crypton does _not_ focus on otaku fandom and tries to sell it’s product to the general market. I don’t agree it’s not mainstream, I think you can purchase Vocaloid from your nearest Japanese software retailer instead of places like Toranoana. Right, it might as well be that they made their second vocaloid (or the next one after Meiko) having more of a life and appearance, but I have long sensed that it was a product not made for otakudom but rather the general tech market.
But yes as you say, this C&D letter was just because of the overpriced dakimakuras, which Crypton wouldn’t let go that easily. As well as your creativity argument, you can publish manga doujinshi with profits that wouldn’t compare against the real product much, but raking in money for just a lifesized color print using a cotton printer? No no.
Some circle already released a Vocaloid 2 Kagamine Rin book about a week or so ago (Miku x Rin “training” setting ^^;).
When the price of the material raises that high, I would agree that it seems to go beyond more fandom. Increasing popularity is one thing, but from Crypton’s standpoint they figure that since the price of that is so high that getting rid of it is probably more profitable for them. They haven’t really attacked all doujin, just this really overpriced one that seems to be trying to make profit instead of barely covering costs. Either way, it’s within their right to do either, I figure they know how the doujin market works and wouldn’t be making this move if they didn’t think it would make them more money in the end.
That is what people do for money. Some of them would protect their rights, while others would lease their rights.
After all, it is still the market, it is just the business techniques that are different.
And I prefer Yuki over Haruhi. Yuki rocks (^^)\,,/.
Guess this means the Vocaloid fanboys don’t get to splooge on Miku now. Fufufu.
>>>But, well, I sense that Crypton does _not_ focus on otaku fandom
One look at Miku and the new girl tells me otherwise.
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Now that they’ve sent a cease and desist order for a SFW doujin game, they’ve crossed a new line.
http://zepy.momotato.com/2008/02/13/crypton-pulls-the-stops-on-vocaloid-doujin-games/
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i would agree with beowulf lee
Miku – twin tails, mini skirt, thigh level boot thingy, relatively small bust size.
Rin – Bow, high school sailor uniform, DFC type, those leg warmer things (a visual replacement for loose stockings [seriously loose stockings look great in anime and manga, but they’re just hideous IRL).
if that isnt targeting Otaku fandom i dont know what is.
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i often use leg warmers during the cold months and specially this DEcember -`:
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