Ru Igarashi
2007-08-06 22:58:25 UTC
Archive-name: anime/music/part1
Posting-Frequency: every 4 weeks
Last-modified: 25 October, 2006
Copyright: (c) 2001-2006 Ru Igarashi
Disclaimer: Approval for *.answers is based on form, not content.
Maintainer: Ru Igarashi <***@usask.ca>
Anime Music FAQ
for REC.ARTS.ANIME.MUSIC
Part 1
Edited by Ru Igarashi
Based on the work of Steve Pearl
This article can be freely distributed for non-commercial use,
as long as all credits and notices remain intact. If this is to be
used in any publication, including CD-ROM collections, please
contact the maintainer for permission at
e-mail:***@usask.ca.
Please e-mail all additions/corrections/comments to:
ru.igarashi[at]usask.ca
Changes since last posting:
- added link to composer Oshima Michiru (FMA)
- changed rtfm.mit.edu (hierarchy) archive link for the FAQ
because that particular subdir is out of order.
FAQ Entries needed (submissions welcome):
- Need ADV Music CD prefix (I think I lost the info)
- Does Bandai have a separate CD web site/page?
- Are there any other prefices fro Geneon Japan (formerly Pioneer)?
- there is a bunch of artists with non-Japanese SOUNDING names in the
non-Japanese artists list. Please let me know if any of the names
don't belong on that list.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This FAQ is posted in three parts.
Contents:
Part 1
1. General Questions
o WHY DO IMPORT ANIME CDS COST SO MUCH?
o WHAT IS THE 2 YEAR LIMIT?
o WHY ARE 2 PRICES SHOWN ON THE BACK OF MY CD?
o HOW DO I PLAY STREAMING AUDIO?
o WHAT'S THE RECOMMENDED WAY OF PRESENTING MUSIC SAMPLERS ON MY WEB SITE?
o WHAT'S THE SONG THAT PLAYS DURING THAT SCENE...?
o WHAT ARE SOME GOOD ORCHESTRAL, SYMPHONIC, OR CLASSICAL STYLE OST?
o WHAT SOUNDTRACKS INCLUDE COMPOSITIONS BY CLASSICAL COMPOSERS?
o WHAT SOUNDTRACKS USE SONGS OR MUSIC FROM OTHER NON-ANIME SOURCES?
o WHAT SOUNDTRACKS FEATURED NON-JAPANESE ARTISTS?
2. Artists
o WHO WROTE THE SOUNDTRACK FOR THIS SHOW?
o IS GABRIELLE ROBIN ACTUALLY YOKO KANNO?
o WHAT LANGUAGE DOES GABRIELLA ROBIN SING IN?
o WHICH VOICE ACTORS ALSO HAVE A SINGING CAREER?
3. Legality Issues with Anime Music
o LEGALITY OF COPYING ANIME MUSIC
o IF NO PROFIT IS MADE, IT ISN'T ILLEGAL, IS IT?
o BUT I CAN'T AFFORD THE ORIGINALS, DOESN'T THAT COUNT?
o BUT THE CD I WANT IS OUT OF PRINT
o IS MY INTERNET RADIO OR STREAMING AUDIO SITE ILLEGAL?
o HOW DOES ONE GET AN INTERNET BROADCAST LICENSE?
o WHAT IS ASCAP AND JASRAC, AND WHAT DO THEY DO?
o WHAT IS THE ACTUAL COPYRIGHT LAW?
o WHAT IS THE "BERNE CONVENTION"?
o ARE SON MAY/EVER ANIME CDS BOOTLEGS?
o HOW CAN I TELL IF AN ANIME CD IS A BOOTLEG CD?
o WHAT ARE THE PREFIXES FOR JAPANESE ANIME CDS?
o WHAT ARE THE PREFIXES FOR NON-JAPANESE ANIME CDS?
o ARE THERE PREFIXES FOR BOOTLEGGED CDS?
o ISN'T IT ILLEGAL FOR STORES TO SELL SM/EA CDS?
o BUT WHY ISN'T COPYRIGHT ACTUALLY ENFORCED?
o IF THE RIGHTS HOLDERS DON'T ACT, DON'T THEY LOSE THEIR RIGHTS?
o WHAT IS THIS RUMOR ABOUT LICENSING MP3 SOFTWARE?
A. About this FAQ
o WHAT IS THIS FAQ FOR?
o WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THIS FAQ?
o WHAT ARE THOSE OTHER ANIME MUSIC FAQS?
o WHERE CAN I FIND THE LATEST VERSION OF THIS FAQ?
B. Contributors
C. Disclaimer
Part 2
1. Online Anime Music Resources
2. Anime Mail Order Businesses
Part 3
1. GLOSSARY
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1. General Questions
o WHY DO IMPORT ANIME CDS COST SO MUCH?
Because that is what they cost in Japan. This is true of anime
videos, too. Most CDs in Japan cost about 3000 Yen. The currency
exchange ranges roughly 1 US dollar for 100-150 Yen. That means
imported anime CDs should cost about $30 US at $1:Y100 and $20 US
at $1:Y150. If you find an anime CD for under $20 US, then it is
either a domestic (outside of Japan) release, a used CD, or a
bootleg. The reason the Japanese price is so high is usually
attributed to their higher cost of living.
o WHAT IS THE 2 YEAR LIMIT?
The so-called 2 year limit refers to the regulation period that
the first release price lasts (for "price protection"). After that
period expires, retailers can reduce the price.
Some people are under the impression this period refers to when
the CDs are forced out of print. They are totally wrong.
Anime CDs have a limited market viability, so by coincidence,
some anime CDs go out of print in 2 years. But some remain in
print longer than that.
o WHY ARE 2 PRICES SHOWN ON THE BACK OF MY CD?
The smaller of the two is the base price of the CD. The larger is
includes a "value added tax" (VAT) which is what must actually be
initially charged for the CD (as per "2 year limit").
o HOW DO I PLAY STREAMING AUDIO?
First you need software. Some of the more popular ones are listed.
RealMedia/RealAudio
OS: Unix/Linux,Mac,Windows
RealPlayer - http://www.real.com
Streaming MPEG (including M3U and PLS)
OS: Unix/Linux
XMMS - http://www.xmms.org
Zinf (was FreeAmp) - http://www.zinf.org
[note: for those who want software that also plays
CDs, this uses MusicBrainz instead of freedb.org for
CD database]
RealPlayer - http://www.real.com
OS: Mac
iTunes - http://www.apple.com/itunes/
Musicmatch Jukebox - http://www.musicmatch.com/home/
MacAmp - http://www.macamp.com
RealPlayer - http://www.real.com
Player365 - http://www.live365.com (tuned for live365)
[see http://www.mp3-mac.com/Pages/MP3_Players-Mac.html for more]
OS: Windows
Winamp - http://www.winamp.com
Musicmatch Jukebox - http://www.musicmatch.com/home/
FreeAmp - http://www.freeamp.org
[note: for those who want software that also plays
CDs, this uses MusicBrainz instead of freedb.org for
CD database]
Player365 - http://www.live365.com (tuned for live365)
iTunes - http://www.apple.com/itunes
Then you need some broadcasters, some of which are listed
later in this document. Some will allow you to connect directly
to a broadcast (i.e. you can start up the player without the
browser and drop the address right in), others work through a
service like Live365.com (i.e. it might be more convenient or
necessary to access it via browser).
If you need a browser, you need to set it up to use the audio
software. In your browser's applications/helper list you need to
add entries for m3u (audio/x-mpegurl and audio/mpegurl) and
pls (audio/x-scpls), if they aren't already there.
Keep in mind that internet radio broadcasters technically are
supposed to be licensed (for copyright), so if you are fussy
about that sort of thing, look for stations that have paid
the copyright fee (i.e. through ASCAP, JASRAC, or similar).
o WHAT'S THE RECOMMENDED WAY OF PRESENTING MUSIC SAMPLERS ON MY WEB SITE?
OK, setting aside the legality issues discussed elsewhere (shakey
ground here), you want to put up music on your web site so that
other folks can get an idea of what is on a CD. You figure this
is doing your part to increase the profile of anime or at least
anime music. Of course, we do get into the copyright issues.
One idea, which is not recommendable, is to use an extreme
compression factor so that the sound quality deters folks that
want a freebie. But how much is that? Certainly, anything above
128 kbps is very-good to CD quality, so that is out. The fact that
64 kbps is considered bearable by portable MP3 device users
indicates that even 64 kbps is still too high. Then the
recommendation is something more along the lines of 32-48 kbps.
There is another problem with this idea besides trying to find
a bitrate that is low enough to deter copiers, if you are trying
to show how good a CD is, lousy quality sound detracts from your
efforts.
Ok, if detering copying is the issue, then how about streaming
formats, like streaming MP3, Realaudio, and Windows Media Format?
That does deter many copiers, but there are ways to rip that
data. It also means users are limited to bitrates that their
connection allows (e.g. dialups either require low bitrates
or the user gets choppy music). You may also need to invest
in extra conversion software and learn how to host the music,
or find a host (e.g. Live365, Shoutcast). And back in legality
territory, a license may even be required (e.g. streaming MP3
technically requires a license from the MP3 technology rights
holders). Also, keep in mind that some streaming formats
are not playable by certain operating systems (e.g. Linux
vs Mac vs Windows) because the owner of the format may not have
released a version for that OS.
But one aspect of copyrights is that it is considered reasonable
to present parts of a work for criticism or commentary. So
taking that as a cue, if you want folks to hear the music,
present them with clips of highlights from the CDs. You can
increase the sound quality and still deter the pirates. And
by using short samples, the transfer volume is small and you
can put clips from more songs than if you used full songs.
So how long should the clips be? The recommendation seems to
be 20-45 seconds, and the clips should be selected from parts
you think folks will like. There's no point in using the first
30 sec of a song if all that time is spent on an intro (unless
that's the best part, of course). The idea here is that you
are creating your own advertisement or review for the CD.
Indicate the source of the clips and the fact they are copyrighted
by the CD company or whoever is indicated as the copyright holder
on the CD case. Presenting a review or critique of the CD is
also a good idea (which you probably intended to do anyways, or
you wouldn't be considering samplers in the first place).
Keep in mind that the legality issues still should be considered.
In the ideal case, getting permission is best.
o WHAT'S THE SONG THAT PLAYS DURING THAT SCENE...?
- Omoide Poro Poro: The end theme.
song: "The Rose"
note: This is a Japanese adaptation of the song most
commonly associated with Bette Midler.
- Macross Plus Ep. 4: During YF-19 Earth re-entry.
song: Information High
CD: Sharon Apple - Cream P.U.F.
Cat: VICL-15037
- Ghost in the Shell: OP, ED, during the "ride" through the city.
song: Basically "utai" 1,3, and 2, respectively. They are
subtitled, "Making of a Cyborg", "Reincarnation", and
"Ghost City". "utai" literally translates to "noh chant",
which is a chant from a form of Japanese theatre.
Cat: BVCR-729
- Cowboy Bebop Ep. 5: As Spike approaches the Cathedral.
song: Rain
note: the version on CD OST 1 (VICL-60201) is not the
version from the show. However, it is on the "Future
Blues" movie soundtrack (VICL-60756) as a hidden bonus.
- Cowboy Bebop Ep. 5: In the fight between Spike and Vicious in
the cathedral, when Spike goes through the window.
song: Green Bird
CD: "No Disc" OST 2
Cat: VICL-60202
- Detonator Orgun OAV 1, ending theme
song: "Bandiria Ryokodan (Bandiria Travelers)" by Susumu Hirasawa
note: There is another version of this song on Hirasawa's solo album
"Virtual Rabbit", but it lacks the booming chorals that make
the Orgun ending theme so memorable.
Cat: POCH-2025
[Michael Hayden]
- Koko wa Greenwood movie (OAV 5+6), final scene / end theme
song: "Kimi wo Suki de Yokatta" by Asami Hayashi
note: It's worth mentioning because it is NOT included on the
regular Greenwood Vocal Collection (domestic reprint:
JNA-1513-2). Instead it is included only on the extremely
out-of-print Vocal Best Collection (VICL-40078).
Cat: VICL-40078
[Michael Hayden]
- Video Girl Ai OST 6, as Youta climbs the glass staircase
song: "Frozen Flower" by Nav Katze
note: Available on JNA-1512-2. Its appearance in the show is very
brief and almost drowned out by Christmas bells, but it still
catches everyone's attention. Gut-wrenchingly beautiful.
Cat: JNA-1512.02
[Michael Hayden]
o WHAT ARE SOME GOOD ORCHESTRAL, SYMPHONIC, OR CLASSICAL STYLE OST?
As with any music, the recommendations depend on taste. Some of
these original soundtracks are done with real orchestras, others
are synthesized orchestras, and the styles vary widely (say, from
baroque to modern). In some situations, the types of music are
concentrated on specific CDs, so they are identified as such.
The following OSTs are predominantly orchestral in a classical style.
["or" in the catalog number list indicates a Domestic release.]
Arc the Lad - SVWC 1304, SVWC 1306
Cardcaptor Sakura - VICL-60263
Crest of the Stars (Monshou no Seikai) - VPCG-84670
Full Metal Alchemist - SVWC 7191, 7226, & 7251
Gasaraki - VICL 60295, VICL 60296
Giant Robo - BCCM-18, APCM-5007, APCM-5008, COCC-11447 [confirmation needed]
- reprints: TKCA-72240, 72241, 72242
Jin-Roh - VICL-60569
Key The Metal Idol BGM Data Discs - PCCG-00350, 00394, 00045
Macross Plus OST 1 - VICL-570 or JVC-1004-2 or AT9303
Night on the Galactic Railroad - KICG-5030
Planetes - VICL-61235 & 61236
Plastic Little - SRCL 2823
Princess Mononoke - TKCA-71168 or FEB002244, TKCA-71395 or 73138-35944-2
Princess Nine - COCC-15261, COCX-30059
Record of the Lodoss War - VICL-51 or JNA-1502-2, VICL-114 or JNA-1515-2,
VICL-267 or JNA-1516-2
Risky Safety - PCCG-00527
Rurouni Kenshin OVA - SVWC 1006 & 1010
Scrapped Princess - LACA-5188 & 5204
Silent Moebius - VICL-178 or JNA-1518-2, VICL-304 or JAN-1519-2
Super Atragon (Shin Kaitei Gunkan) - KICA 308
Turn A Gundam OST 1 & 3 - KICA-473 & 508
Vision of Escaflowne OST 1 & 3 - VICL-769 & 773
The following has some orchestral pieces in a classical style,
or uses predominantly orchestral instrumentation (or imitation)
not in a classical style.
Devil Hunter Yohko (Mamono Hunter Yohko) - KICA 149
Ghost in the Shell - BVCR-729
Gunbuster: Aim for the Top! (Top o Nerae!) - VICL-2178
Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory - VICL-113 and VICL-40038/40039
Iria: Zeiram the Animation - VICL 530
Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water - TYCY-5136 or 5573
Neon Genesis Evangelion - KICA-286, 290, 300
Patlabor Movie 2 - VPCG-84206
Patlabor Movie 3 "WXIII" - VICL-60851
Revolutionary Girl Utena - KICA-354 & 374 & 387
Robotech Perfect Collection - SDF-CD1
Sailor Moon - too many CDs to list here
(try: http://sailormusic.net/tracks/index.html)
Tenchi Muyo - PICA 1003 & 1011 & 1043
Wings of Honneamise (Aile de Honneamise) - MDCZ-1168~1171
o WHAT SOUNDTRACKS INCLUDE COMPOSITIONS BY CLASSICAL COMPOSERS?
Cowboy Bebop - Tchaikovsky (Waltz of the Flowers)?
End of Summer - Chopin (Prelude in F-major)
Debussy (A little black man, Dream, Dream Variation)
Faure (Dolly Suite, Romance without words - OP.17-No.3,)
Mendehlsson (Silent Collection OP.53-No.1)
Ravel (Sonatine - 2nd movement)
Evangelion - Handel (Halleluja Chorus from Messiah)
Handel (Blessed are the Lamb, Amen from Messiah)
Beethoven (Symphony #9 - choral)
Pachebel (Kanon D-Dur)
Bach (Cello Suite #1 - Prelude)
Bach (Jesus, Joy of Man's Desiring)
Bach (II Air) [is that "II" for real?]
Excel Saga - L. v. Beethoven (short sections of 4th movement from 9th Symph)
FLCL - Kabalevsky (The Comedians - Gallop)
Gakkou no Kaidan - Beethoven (Fur Elise)
Geobreeders 2 - L. v. Beethoven (short sections of 4th movement of 9th Symph)
Giant Robo - Donizetti (aria from L'Elisir d'Amore)
Gunbuster - Mascagni (intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana)
Handel (Messiah)?
Dvorak (New World Symphony)
Hana Yori Dango - Mahler (which Symphony?)
Harlock Saga - Wagner (Ring of the Neibulung) [based on or actual use?]
His and Her Circumstances (KareKano) - L.v. Beethoven (Symphony #?)
Irresponsible Captain Tylor - Rossini (William Tell Overture)
Kaleido Star - Richard Strauss (Also Sprach Zarathustra [best known as
the "2001" theme], in episode 20)
Legend of the Galactic Heroes movie - Ravel (Bolero)
Love Hina - Erik Satie (several bars from Gymnopedie No. 1 in Episode 12)
Stravinski (Night on Bald Mountain)
Magnetic Rose - Puccini (aria from Madame Butterfly)
Nazca - J.S. Bach (?)
Patlabor III - Beethoven (adagio from Pathetique sonata)
Princess Nine - Schubert (Andante con moto from Piano Trio in E Flat)
Princess Tutu - Are you kidding? What composer isn't represented in
this show? For a partial list, see (beware, there are
potential spoilers):
http://www.geocities.com/ruigarashi/FAQS/raa_music/princess_tutu_composers.txt
Rahxephon - A. Borodin (Polovtsian Dance No. 17 from "Prince Igor")
Read or Die - Beethoven (Symphony #9, 4th movment)
- ? (Greensleeves - music box version)
Sailor Moon - A. Vivaldi (4 Seasons "Summer")
- J.S. Bach (Toccata and Fugue in D minor)
- L. v. Beethoven (Symphony #5 & #9)
- F. Chopin (Sonata #2)
- Franz Lehar ("Merry Widow")
- Johann Strauss Jr. ("Blue Danube")
Utena - Berlioz (2nd movement of Symphonie Fantastique)
Violinist of Hamelin - Rossini (William Tell Overture)
- Bizet (Carmen Overture)
- Beethoven (Violin Concerto)
- much much more
common wedding song - Wagner (Lohengrinn)
o WHAT SOUNDTRACKS USE SONGS OR MUSIC FROM OTHER NON-ANIME SOURCES?
These are shows that used songs or music that were not originally
written for the show (e.g. were written before). Many are pieces
written by non-Japanese artists.
Evangelion - "Fly Me to the Moon" by Bart Howard (1954), most
notable version sung by Frank Sinatra
FLCL - many songs by The Pillows [needs confirmation of prior release]
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence - "Follow Me" by Kretzmer, Shapey,Rodrigo
G.T.O. - "S.O.S." by Pink Lady
Gunslinger Girl - "The Light Before We Land" by The Delgados
Hanada Shounen Shi - "The One" and "Drowning," performed by the
Backstreet Boys
His and Her Circumstances - "S.O.S." by Pink Lady.
Maison Ikkoku - "Alone Again (Naturally)", "Get Down" by Gilbert O'Sullivan
Metropolis - "I Can't Stop Loving You" by Don Gibson, sung by Ray Charles.
Nana 7 of 7 (Shichinin no Nana) - "The Maple Leaf Rag" by Scott Joplin
Night Walker - "Gessekai" by Buck-Tick
Noir - "Copperia no Hitsugi" by Ali Project
Serial Experiments Lain - "Duvet" by Boa. "HimuraLain" recommends
checking http://www.boaweb.co.uk in the biography section to
explain the circumstances around that particular acquisition
by Pioneer.
Teki wa Kaizoku (Enemy's the Pirate) - "It's Only Love", "Danger on
the Street" and "Big Beat, No Heart", by Lea Heart, Paul Dianno,
Biff Byford. [need confirmation of prior release]
Texhnolyze - "Guardian Angel" by Juno Reactor
Urusei Yatsura - 'almost every piece of the Beatles' "Magical Mystery
Tour" album... (Along with the occasional disco-ized "When You
Wish Upon a Star"' - Derek Janseen
Black Heaven - "Cautionary Warning" by John Sykes. ""Cautionary Warning"
first appeard on John's album "20th Century" (Mercury Japan PHCR-1590,
released in 1997), two years before "Black Heaven" was released in
Japan (1999)." - Glenn Shaw
Speed Grapher - "Girls on Film" by Duran Duran
Paradise Kiss - "Do You Want To" by Franz Ferdinand
Ergo Proxy - "Paranoid Android" by Radiohead
o WHAT SOUNDTRACKS FEATURED NON-JAPANESE ARTISTS?
These are STs that featured singers or lyricists that collaborated
in, or contributed to, the music production and were not Japanese.
[maintainer's note: I added a bunch of names without confirming
nationality. Please point out errors where you can. - 2005-02-27]
Cowboy Bebop - featured singers Carla Vallet, Emily Bindiger,
Hassan Bohmide, Steve Conte, Tulivu-Donna Cumberbatch,
Jerzy Knetig
- lyrics by Tim Jensen, Brian Richy, Chris Mosdell
Full Metal Alchemist - VERA
Gankutsuou (The Count of Monte Cristo) - Jean Jacques Burnel (better
known as JJBurnel from the band The Stranglers
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
- featured singers Ilaria Graziano, Scott Matthew, Origa,
Emily Curtis, Shanti Snyder
- lyrics by Tim Jenson, Troy, Origa, Shanti Snyder, Chris Mosdell,
Ilaria Graziano
Ghost in the Shell Movie - Fang Ka Wing
Harmageddon - soundtrack supervised by Keith Emerson
L/R (Licensed by Royalty) - Billy Preston
Last Exile - lyrics by Damian Broomhead
Maison Ikkoku - Mark Goldenberg wrote some of the instrumentals
Monster - ED theme "For the Love of Life" performed by David Sylvian
Project A-ko - Joey Carbone and Richie Zito
RG Veda - music by Nick Wood
Sol Bianca: The Legacy - featured singer Stella Furst; lyrics by Marie Cochrane
Tenchi Muyo in Love - music by Christopher Franke
- ED sung by Nina Hagen and Rick Jude
Wolf's Rain - featured singers Steve Conte, Joyce, Raj Ramaya,
Ilaria Graziano, Franco Sansalone
(need confirmation for J, RR, and FS)
- lyrics by Tim Jensen, Joyce, Raj Ramayya, Ilaria Graziano,
Chris Mosdell, Troy, Franco Sansalone
----------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Artists
o WHO WROTE THE SOUNDTRACK FOR THIS SHOW?
Here is a short and far from complete list of soundtrack writers,
and, in some cases, their web site. Names are listed surname first.
Amano Masamichi - Super Atragon, Princess Nine
Arisawa Takinori - Sailor Moon
Hisaishi Joe - Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind, Laputa: Castle
in the Sky, Kiki's Delivery Service, Porco Rosso,
Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away
http://www.joehisaishi.com
Hogari Hisaaki - My Dear Marie, Gasaraki
Iwasaki Taku - Rurouni Kenshin OVAs, Witch Hunter Robin, Read or Die
Kanno Yoko - Macross Plus, Vision of Escaflowne (not the North
American TV version, though a little was left in), Cowboy
Bebop, Brain Powerd, Magnetic Rose segment of Memories,
Turn A Gundam, Chikyuu Shoujo Arjuna (Earth Girl Arjuna),
Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex
Kawai Kenji - Patlabor (TV, OAVs, movies), Mermaid's Forest,
Blue Seed, Irresponsible Captain Tylor, Vampire Princess
Miyu (OAV and TV), Ghost in the Shell, Devilman, Maison
Ikkoku TV, Ranma 1/2: Big Trouble in Nekonron
http://www.kenjikawai.com/
Mitsumune Shinkichi - Revolutionary Girl Utena, Nurse Angel
Rarika SOS
Mizoguchi Hajime - Please Save My Earth, Jin-Roh, ~1/3 Escaflowne
http://www.archcello.com/
Nagaoka Seiko - Tenchi Muyo, El Hazard, Sol Bianca: The Legacy, Stellvia
Oshima Michiru - Arc the Lad, Full Metal Alchemist
http://www.michiru-oshima.com/
Otani Kou - You're Under Arrest, Haibane Renmei, Daphne in the
Brilliant Blue
Reichi Nakaido ("Chabo") - Serial Experiments Lain
Sakamoto Ryuichi - Wings of Honneamise
http://www.sitesakamoto.com/
Tanaka Kohei - Sakura Taisen
Terashima Tamiya - Key the Metal Idol, Plastic Little
http://www.dd.iij4u.or.jp/~tamiya/index.shtml
Tsuru Nohihiro - Mermaid's Scar
Vink - All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl, Slayers
Yasuda Takeshi - Oh My Goddess OVA
Wood, Nick - RG Veda
o IS GABRIELLE ROBIN ACTUALLY YOKO KANNO?
There is evidence that suggests this. See the
"Tenkuu no Kanno Yoko" site:
http://www.geocities.com/helixcat_2000/main.html
(click on "PROFILE", scroll down to the end of the
section about Yoko Kanno)
However, she has yet to 'fess up.
o WHAT LANGUAGE DOES GABRIELLA ROBIN SING IN?
As one rec.arts.anime poster once wrote, it's LizFraserese
(i.e. Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins is well known for
her "screwing up the lyrics" experiments in phoenetics). In
Robin's case, often, it's gibberish that sounds kind of French.
o WHICH VOICE ACTORS ALSO HAVE A SINGING CAREER?
Some VAs seem to be committed to a singing career in addition to
(or vice versa) voice acting, either in regularly performing live
or releasing CDs. Others either make appearances or produce CDs
in support of a show, and may do so infrequently. It's hard to
say what constitutes a career, but there are quite a number of
VAs that have at some point sang in addition to voice acting. The
list is long enough that it shouldn't really be included here.
Check Seiyuu databases, listed in the "Online Anime Music Resources"
section. For example, Hitoshi Doi's Seiyuu Database is searchable
and also broken down by different categories. You can also try the
online CD stores (e.g. CDJapan) for specific actresses that you
know (e.g. by looking it up in Hitoshi's Seiyuu database :) .
----------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Legality Issues with Anime Music
o LEGALITY OF COPYING ANIME MUSIC
From Avatar's (a.k.a. Andy Kent) Japanese Animation Legality FAQ
(http://member.newsguy.com/~memoirs/legal.html - note this is
not being maintained at the moment, just archived),
No, you can't copy a CD full of anime songs either. @_@ Unless
you're making a personal copy onto tape for use in your car or
such, and even that's touchy from a legal perspective.
As some folks have pointed out, if you pay the copyright fee or
whatever given stipulated terms, of course you can. Many music
related clubs do this, and in some countries there is a levy on
recordable CDs to accomodate the recording industry. Time shifting
(e.g. making a temporary copy of a TV show while you are away
from home so that you can see it when you get home), and space
shifting (e.g. making a tape or MP3 of songs you paid for so you
can listen to them in your CD-less car) have been allowed, but
the allowances are quite restrictive. Copying MP3s from Napster,
for example, when you don't own a legal copy of the CD they came
from was ruled definitely illegal. One key issue of legality is
that you have to own a legitimate copy (produced by rights holder,
sold legally to you, or to an individual who then gave it to you)
BEFORE you make any copies, or generate any other form of copy.
If you can't prove that, you can assume your copy is illegal.
Otherwise, the Fair Use clause of any nation's copyright laws tend
to be difficult to gauge, such that it is better to assume a copy
is illegal. Keep in mind, that Fair Use clauses tend to be oriented
more towards "purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting,
teaching, scholarship, or research" (US Code Title 17, Chapter 1,
Section 107). At the very least, it's handled case-by-case.
o IF NO PROFIT IS MADE, IT ISN'T ILLEGAL, IS IT?
Not true. There have been quite a few cases in the US where a
finding of violation was made even if no profit was made, or no
money exchanged. As long as some party benefits to the exclusion
of the rights holder, there is a good chance of a finding of
violation. That means even trading CDR or MP3 of songs is most
probably illegal if the original CD does not accompany them.
o BUT I CAN'T AFFORD THE ORIGINALS, DOESN'T THAT COUNT?
Now we are getting into moral issues. The law says that getting
copies without permission or license is illegal (sometimes even
criminal), so regardless of moral issues, your financial standing
doesn't matter. That is, as far as the law is concerned, getting or
making a copy without permission or license is not much different
than grabbing the orignal CD off the shelf and walking out of
the store without paying for it (except that doing so is always
criminal, I think, a matter of degree), so you shouldn't do it.
There is also the issue of supporting the market. Until now, we
have had little choice but to import our favourite anime STs (with
limited exceptions). As such, we may be a small part of the anime
CD market, but there's nothing saying we aren't an unoticeable
part. Bootlegs reduce our visibility, and would present a bigger
obstacle than bootlegs of videos because music is a more universally
accessible medium (no need to translate). But anime, and anime CDs,
are a niche market. As such, we should worry about the effects on
attempts to market non-Japanese releases of our favourite STs.
Remember, these folks not only have to pay a license in addition to
the usual overhead, but they have to convince the Japanese companies
that it's worth giving the licence in the first place. Someone
out there is keeping track of how much anime CD exporting there is,
and bootlegs detract from that.
I mention the above because ADV and TRSI have started a joint
venture to bring at least 100 anime CDs to North America in
2002, and we should think about supporting that.
Now if you allow me this digression, really, getting anime CDs isn't
a right, it's a luxury. As such, we shouldn't really expect prices
to oblige us to that extent (after all, that's what capitalism
is about). That is, if you are concerned about moral issues,
it's like any item we can survive without, if we can't afford it
we should do without until we can afford it. We have to live
with that on stuff we consider more essential than anime CDs,
so it should apply with anime CDs, too.
Then it's just a question of what you are morally and legally
willing to live with. If these considerations aren't a concern,
your financial standing is the main consideration. If they are
a concern, then your financial standing doesn't count. It's up
to you. Just be aware that rec.arts.anime.music has a few vocal
objectors to bootlegs.
o BUT THE CD I WANT IS OUT OF PRINT
Ok, another moral territory issue. Setting the moral issue aside
for the moment, there are other means of getting the CD. You can
check out used CD stores, both brick-and-mortar (if you are so
lucky as to have one nearby) and online (some are listed in this
FAQ). You can check out the online auction sites, being careful
to check catalog numbers, and the usual precautions against fraud.
You can inquire in the rec.arts.anime.marketplace newsgroup.
As far as the moral issues are concerned, one argument against bootleg
CDs, similar to the affordability perspective, is that acquiring CDs
is a luxury and not a right. The notion that "you can live without
it, do without", applies similarly here, especially considering you do
without with more important stuff.
Concerns regarding the domestic market for non-Japanese re-releases
also apply here as with the affordability perspective. In some sense,
moreso because the domestic prices tend to be comparable to the
bootleggers' (outrageous) prices. That can also lead to some confusion
as to what is a legitimate low priced CD.
Finally, not all CDs remain out of print. Some CDs get a new pressing
after only a couple years, which helps us folks on the other side of the
planet that only get a chance to see the anime a couple years after
the Japanese showing. Some CDs, like the Nadia and Patlabor CDs,
enjoyed a re-release many years after.
o IS MY INTERNET RADIO OR STREAMING AUDIO SITE ILLEGAL?
You may be avoiding direct copying of works, but you still have
to worry about broadcasting rights. If you or your service have
paid the license or gotten authorization from the rights holder,
you're legal. If you haven't, your site may well be in violation.
Keep in mind, if you are running as a member of a licensed broadcast
service like Live365.com, you may be ok; it depends on if their
licensor covers the foreign works you are broadcasting. As usual,
your programs have to be made from legitimate copies (e.g. not
from CDR or MP3 you got in a trade).
o HOW DOES ONE GET AN INTERNET BROADCAST LICENSE?
It varies from country to country, but most countries have an
organization like ASCAP (see below) that you can contact. They
usually handle a variety of licensing packages to suit the
scale of the licensee.
o WHAT IS ASCAP AND JASRAC, AND WHAT DO THEY DO?
[this needs confirmation and should not be considered reliable
information]
These organizations look after copyright management for their members.
They give out licenses, collect royalties, and distribute the money
from licensing and royalties. Their members are the rights holders
of the work they license. These organizations are limited to a
country, but there may be more than one in a country. Many of these
organizations are members of international cooperatives through
respective agreements. This allows works covered by one organization
to get royalties from performances in another country. ASCAP is
a North American licensing organization, and JASRAC is a Japanese
one. If someone wanted to use an anime CD in a broadcast fundraiser
in Houston, Texas, that person would pay the licensing fee perhaps
to ASCAP, and then ASCAP would pass money along to JASRAC, who
then gives the money to the writers, the studios, etc, in Japan.
Here's a sample list of organizations in some countries.
USA
American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP)
http://www.ascap.com/
Broadcast Music, Inc (BMI)
http://bmi.com/
Canada
Society of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers of Canada
http://www.socan.ca/
UK
Performing Right Society (PRS)
http://www.prs.co.uk/
Japan
Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers, and
Publishers (JASRAC)
http://www.jasrac.or.jp/ejhp/index.htm
o WHAT IS THE ACTUAL COPYRIGHT LAW?
There is no one copyright law for all nations. The Berne Treaty
(see below) tries to make copyright laws of signing nations
consistent and to add just enough glue to protect international
works. Copyright laws of various nations can be found at these
sites.
Japan
http://www.cric.or.jp/ (Japanese)
http://www.cric.or.jp/cric_e/index.html (English)
USA
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/
Canada
http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/C-42/index.html
Australia
http://scaleplus.law.gov.au/html/pasteact/0/244/top.htm
UK
http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts1988/Ukpga_19880048_en_1.htm
o WHAT IS THE "BERNE CONVENTION"?
The Berne treaty is an international treaty that outlines the
basic copyrights that all signatory nations will abide by.
The main points are:
- works created in a foreign nation will be treated as if
created domestically.
- all artists have the exclusive right to authorize
translations, reproduction, performance, and adaptation
of their works.
- all artists have the right of integrity and attribution
- signatory nations can have even more and stronger
copyright rules than the treaty stipulates.
The number of signatory nations that have NOT signed the
treaty is a small minority of all nations. An HTML version of
the Berne Treaty can be found at:
http://www.wipo.int/clea/docs/en/wo/wo001en.htm
or at
http://www.law.cornell.edu/treaties/berne/overview.html
Other international treaties can be found at the World Intellectual Property
Organization web site (http://www.wipo.org/):
http://www.wipo.org/treaties/ip/index.html
A list of signatory nations can be found at:
http://www.wipo.org/treaties/documents/english/pdf/e-berne.pdf
o ARE SON MAY/EVER ANIME CDS BOOTLEGS?
In all Berne convention signatory nations, yes, they are. These are
made by Taiwanese companies that did not get permission, or pay
licenses, to reproduce and distribute most (if not all) of their
anime CDs. As far as the CD data for a given song is concerned they
are identical to the original. They are also getting difficult to
identify by package quality, as their print copying is getting
pretty good.
Other common bootleg companies seem to be:
Smile Face
Alion
Miya Records
It is up to the you to decide if buying a bootleg is acceptable
to you. Similarly, it is up to you how you should react to a
store that sells bootlegs.
Note: As of 1 January, 2002, Taiwan joined the World Trade Organization,
and thus became obliged to enforce international copyright. The current
batch of bootleggers (Son May, Ever Anime, Smile Face, Alion) are
expected to disappear soon.
o HOW CAN I TELL IF AN ANIME CD IS A BOOTLEG CD?
If you are buying CDs off the shelf, CDs from these companies are
clearly labelled as "Son May", "SM CD", or "Ever Anime", so they
aren't difficult to identify. But when online shopping, it is
always a good idea to do a little research beforehand. You can get
catalog information from CD information sites and online CD stores
in Japan. If you forget the actual number, knowing which company
released the CD and the prefix they use can help a lot. The more
common ones are listed with the next few questions.
There is a good site for more general anime bootleg information at
http://www.digital.anime.org.uk/piratefaq.html
There you can find images of the SM and Ever Anime logos, as well
as other anime piracy information.
Another decent general anime bootleg information site is
http://members.austarmetro.com.au/~mwhitley/bootleg.htm
It's focus is more on the Australian market, but the bootleg info
is relevant.
o WHAT ARE THE PREFIXES FOR JAPANESE ANIME CDS?
For the legitimate Japanese companies, common catalog prefixes are:
BVDP - BMG Japan
COCC,COCX - Columbia Japan
GNCA - Geneon Entertainment (formerly Pioneer)
JMI - JVC
KICA,KIDA,KICS,KICM - King Record (Starchild)
KTCR - Kitty
LACA - Lantis
MMCC - Marine Entertainment
PICA,PIDA - Pioneer
PCCG - Pony Canyon
SVWC,SRCL - Sony (including Aniplex)
TKCA,<2digits>ATC - Tokuma Japan
TYCY,TYDY - Toshiba-EMI (Futureland)
VICL,VIDL - Victor
VPCG - Vap
WPCL - Warner Music Japan
o WHAT ARE THE PREFIXES FOR NON-JAPANESE ANIME CDS?
There are some companies in North America and elsewhere outside of
Japan that have, or had, licenses for some anime CDs:
AT - Animetrax, a joint ADVFilms and Right Stuf label
? - ADV Music
RSCD - Right Stuff International
TPCD - Soundtrax, TokyoPop's CD label
JMI|JVC|JNA - JVC
USM - Central Park Media/US Manga Corps
PICD - Geneon/Pioneer
####-# - Geneon Entertainment USA
####-CD - Bandai
CD-<2 letters> - Viz Music
TOF - Tofu Records
DSCD - Demon Soundtracks (UK)
73138-#####-# - Milan
For more information on domestically released anime CDs, see
Chris Sypal's Domestic Anime CD Guide at
http://www.radiks.net/~csypal/cds
AniMusic: The Ultimate List of American Released Anime CDs
http://www.shizukapress.com/Otaking/Animusic/animusic.html
o ARE THERE PREFIXES FOR BOOTLEGGED CDS?
For some, yes. For the most common bootleggers:
GGG,GA,GSM,SM,A&G,GAME,CK,SMA - Son May
A8 - Ever Anime
ALCA - Alion
KA,HO - Smile Face
MICA - Miya Records
o ISN'T IT ILLEGAL FOR STORES TO SELL SM/EA CDS?
Yes, it is. However, copyright laws require the copyright holder
to submit a complaint, rather than having law enforcement agencies
search for infringements. Most anime-related Japanese companies
haven't seen fit to pursue the matter, so stores can get away with
selling bootleg products. However, doing so does leave them open
to prosecution if a CD company suddently decides to clamp down.
If you feel strongly enough against a store selling bootlegs,
point out the items to the store manager/owner. Sometimes they
don't know any better. If they sell them knowingly, and if you
feel strongly enough about it, you can tell the manager you will
not patronize the store and will tell your friends about it.
Just be sure you have another source of anime goods.
o BUT WHY ISN'T COPYRIGHT ACTUALLY ENFORCED?
Copyright laws are mostly civil laws rather than criminal laws
(though there are criminal sections in many copyright laws).
Accordingly those kinds of laws are typically pursued by lawsuit
rather than actively by some agency like police or customs
departments. That means the copyright holder must file a suit in
order for action to take place against a violator. The onus is
probably also on the plaintiff to somehow show infringement
(e.g. some sort of damage) occured. This method of enforcement
is probably necessary to protect the general public from degrees
of enforcement that were not intended for rights holders against
the general public.
One should keep in mind that copyright laws are intended to foster
scientific and creative progress by giving creators confidence
that they can sustain their work (and themselves pursuant to that
work). Activities that are restricted to an individual have a
much smaller impact on that confidence. Large scale activities
will have a larger impact, and at some point a noticeable impact.
As such, copyright laws seem geared more towards large scale
activities rather than the activities restricted to an individual.
Therefore the copyright laws allows for a fair bit of discretion
or flexibility when it comes to determining violation.
o IF THE RIGHTS HOLDERS DON'T ACT, DON'T THEY LOSE THEIR RIGHTS?
No, not at all. Copyright laws protect a work for many decades
regardless of whether the rights holder ever acted. The rights
holder can in fact take action at just about any time on any of
many infractions, though there can be some limits on how long ago
a violation can be sued for.
The two main ways of losing the rights, or the for the work to
enter the "public domain", is a) the passage of time past the
duration stipulated by law (many decades), or b) the rights holder
explicitly stipulating the the rights have been relinquished into
the public domain.
o WHAT IS THIS RUMOR ABOUT LICENSING MP3 SOFTWARE?
Well, encoding and playback software are also subject to intellectual
property rights (patents), and in this case the rights holders of
the MP3 format (Fraunhofer IIS-A and Thomson Multimedia) are going
around to writers of MP3 software demanding a fee or royalty (of
$0.75 US) for every unit of player software sold. That shouldn't
impact anyone getting player or encoder software as part of a
purchased package. If the playback software is distributed as
freeware, it is also royalty free. However, for ALL encoders, a
license is needed, and thus royalties must be paid (starting at
$2.50 per encoder sold or given for free).
You also need a license to provide REVENUE GENERATING MP3 content
on the internet. Fee's are based on gross income (including
advertising and subscription), so with no income the license
is free. This is on top of a copyright license for the music.
The 2001 version of the licensing pages at
http://www.mp3licensing.com
stirred up a bit of a fuss when it seemed to change the long standing
freeware policy. It turns out to have been a wording error, and there
were actually no changes since 1995.
As a result of these code copyrights though, there has been a movement
to use the Ogg Vorbis audio file format, which is license- and royalty-
free.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
A. About this FAQ
o WHAT IS THIS FAQ FOR?
(from "Welcome to rec.arts.anime.music" FAQ)
This FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) is a companion to a set of FAQs
for the rec.arts.anime.music newsgroup and anime music in general.
It is intended to be a reference of basic information about the news
group, e.g. the kinds of topics that are intended. As a set, the
FAQs are intended as a reasonably accessible reference to basic
information about the news group, rec.arts.anime.music, and topics
that are frequently encountered as a fan progresses from novice to
"expert". They are posted once a month in rec.arts.anime.music.
They are not by any means comprehensive, and are subject to the
changes of the times. Items that could do with more input are
tagged with "editor's note" and a note, delimited by '[' and ']'.
If you have any suggestions, corrections, or submissions, please
send them to me or post them in rec.arts.anime.music.
For information about the news group itself (e.g. what are or aren't
considered appropriate topics for postings, see the "Welcome to
REC.ARTS.ANIME.MUSIC" FAQ.
o WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THIS FAQ?
(from "Welcome to rec.arts.anime.music" FAQ)
This rec.arts.anime.music FAQ was originally created and maintained
by Steve Pearl, the moderator of rec.arts.anime.info, who saw the
need for introductory FAQs for many of the rec.arts.anime news groups
as they were being created in 1996. He maintained them until the
fall of 1998.
In January of 2001, maintainance of this FAQ was assumed by the
current maintainer, and after significant revisions and updates,
regular posting resumed in March, 2001. Steve's entries are
attributed by [SP], or [SP,RI] where I've made significant changes.
In May of 2003, the FAQ was split into two documents, one for
information about the newsgroup (this one) titled "Welcome to
REC.ARTS.ANIME.MUSIC" and one for anime music information titled
"Anime Music FAQ for REC.ARTS.ANIME.MUSIC". The latter was split
into multiple parts.
The current maintainer and this news group owe a debt of gratitude
to Steve Pearl, for his foresight at the birth of this news group
and the effort he put into this and other rec.arts.anime FAQs.
Wherever you are, Steve, Thanks.
o WHAT ARE THOSE OTHER ANIME MUSIC FAQS?
"Welcome to rec.arts.anime.music" - an FAQ regarding the newsgroup itself
http://www.geocities.com/ruigarashi/FAQS/raa_music/
or
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet-by-group/rec.arts.anime.music/
[editor's note:
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet-by-hierarchy/rec/arts/anime/music/
is temporarily out of order]
o WHERE CAN I FIND THE LATEST VERSION OF THIS FAQ?
This FAQ is posted every 4 weeks to
rec.arts.anime.music
rec.arts.anime.info
The latest working copy that contains changes going into the next
official posting can be found at
http://www.geocities.com/ruigarashi/FAQS/raa_music/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
B. Contributors
As with most FAQs, the information documented in the
rec.arts.anime.music FAQ comes from many people (yes, anime fans
are people, too). Our thanks should go to these people.
Steve Pearl (who started this FAQ)
Avatar
Chika
Clinton Moulds
Daniel (a.k.a. vanfanel)
Joshua Kaufman
K.E. Bosco
Mike Quin
Nikkou
Nobutoshi Ito
Pipian
Rob Kelk
Rob Maxwell
Ru Igarashi
Simon Palko
Thomas Chan
Tom Norrill
Wayne C. Morris
Terrence Huey
Michael Hayden
Joe Curzon
Glenn Shaw
Nunya Biznes
Kaijyuu Miyuki-chan
Josh Berry
Eric VanHeest
Zoe (of zoemi.com)
James Mccawley
Phil Lee
Dave Watson
Sean O'Connor
John Lee Baird
HimuraLain
Skeleton Man
Mark Weiss
Anthony D. Baranyi
Anime-niac
Jen Stantz
Sean Robinson
----------------------------------------------------------------------
C. Disclaimer
This document is provided without any warrantees, implied or
expressed. The editor assumes no responsibility for damages
resulting from the use of the information the document contains
or the lack thereof.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Edited by Ru Igarashi.
E-mail submissions and questions about the newsgroup to
ru.igarashi[at]usask.ca.
Posting-Frequency: every 4 weeks
Last-modified: 25 October, 2006
Copyright: (c) 2001-2006 Ru Igarashi
Disclaimer: Approval for *.answers is based on form, not content.
Maintainer: Ru Igarashi <***@usask.ca>
Anime Music FAQ
for REC.ARTS.ANIME.MUSIC
Part 1
Edited by Ru Igarashi
Based on the work of Steve Pearl
This article can be freely distributed for non-commercial use,
as long as all credits and notices remain intact. If this is to be
used in any publication, including CD-ROM collections, please
contact the maintainer for permission at
e-mail:***@usask.ca.
Please e-mail all additions/corrections/comments to:
ru.igarashi[at]usask.ca
Changes since last posting:
- added link to composer Oshima Michiru (FMA)
- changed rtfm.mit.edu (hierarchy) archive link for the FAQ
because that particular subdir is out of order.
FAQ Entries needed (submissions welcome):
- Need ADV Music CD prefix (I think I lost the info)
- Does Bandai have a separate CD web site/page?
- Are there any other prefices fro Geneon Japan (formerly Pioneer)?
- there is a bunch of artists with non-Japanese SOUNDING names in the
non-Japanese artists list. Please let me know if any of the names
don't belong on that list.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This FAQ is posted in three parts.
Contents:
Part 1
1. General Questions
o WHY DO IMPORT ANIME CDS COST SO MUCH?
o WHAT IS THE 2 YEAR LIMIT?
o WHY ARE 2 PRICES SHOWN ON THE BACK OF MY CD?
o HOW DO I PLAY STREAMING AUDIO?
o WHAT'S THE RECOMMENDED WAY OF PRESENTING MUSIC SAMPLERS ON MY WEB SITE?
o WHAT'S THE SONG THAT PLAYS DURING THAT SCENE...?
o WHAT ARE SOME GOOD ORCHESTRAL, SYMPHONIC, OR CLASSICAL STYLE OST?
o WHAT SOUNDTRACKS INCLUDE COMPOSITIONS BY CLASSICAL COMPOSERS?
o WHAT SOUNDTRACKS USE SONGS OR MUSIC FROM OTHER NON-ANIME SOURCES?
o WHAT SOUNDTRACKS FEATURED NON-JAPANESE ARTISTS?
2. Artists
o WHO WROTE THE SOUNDTRACK FOR THIS SHOW?
o IS GABRIELLE ROBIN ACTUALLY YOKO KANNO?
o WHAT LANGUAGE DOES GABRIELLA ROBIN SING IN?
o WHICH VOICE ACTORS ALSO HAVE A SINGING CAREER?
3. Legality Issues with Anime Music
o LEGALITY OF COPYING ANIME MUSIC
o IF NO PROFIT IS MADE, IT ISN'T ILLEGAL, IS IT?
o BUT I CAN'T AFFORD THE ORIGINALS, DOESN'T THAT COUNT?
o BUT THE CD I WANT IS OUT OF PRINT
o IS MY INTERNET RADIO OR STREAMING AUDIO SITE ILLEGAL?
o HOW DOES ONE GET AN INTERNET BROADCAST LICENSE?
o WHAT IS ASCAP AND JASRAC, AND WHAT DO THEY DO?
o WHAT IS THE ACTUAL COPYRIGHT LAW?
o WHAT IS THE "BERNE CONVENTION"?
o ARE SON MAY/EVER ANIME CDS BOOTLEGS?
o HOW CAN I TELL IF AN ANIME CD IS A BOOTLEG CD?
o WHAT ARE THE PREFIXES FOR JAPANESE ANIME CDS?
o WHAT ARE THE PREFIXES FOR NON-JAPANESE ANIME CDS?
o ARE THERE PREFIXES FOR BOOTLEGGED CDS?
o ISN'T IT ILLEGAL FOR STORES TO SELL SM/EA CDS?
o BUT WHY ISN'T COPYRIGHT ACTUALLY ENFORCED?
o IF THE RIGHTS HOLDERS DON'T ACT, DON'T THEY LOSE THEIR RIGHTS?
o WHAT IS THIS RUMOR ABOUT LICENSING MP3 SOFTWARE?
A. About this FAQ
o WHAT IS THIS FAQ FOR?
o WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THIS FAQ?
o WHAT ARE THOSE OTHER ANIME MUSIC FAQS?
o WHERE CAN I FIND THE LATEST VERSION OF THIS FAQ?
B. Contributors
C. Disclaimer
Part 2
1. Online Anime Music Resources
2. Anime Mail Order Businesses
Part 3
1. GLOSSARY
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1. General Questions
o WHY DO IMPORT ANIME CDS COST SO MUCH?
Because that is what they cost in Japan. This is true of anime
videos, too. Most CDs in Japan cost about 3000 Yen. The currency
exchange ranges roughly 1 US dollar for 100-150 Yen. That means
imported anime CDs should cost about $30 US at $1:Y100 and $20 US
at $1:Y150. If you find an anime CD for under $20 US, then it is
either a domestic (outside of Japan) release, a used CD, or a
bootleg. The reason the Japanese price is so high is usually
attributed to their higher cost of living.
o WHAT IS THE 2 YEAR LIMIT?
The so-called 2 year limit refers to the regulation period that
the first release price lasts (for "price protection"). After that
period expires, retailers can reduce the price.
Some people are under the impression this period refers to when
the CDs are forced out of print. They are totally wrong.
Anime CDs have a limited market viability, so by coincidence,
some anime CDs go out of print in 2 years. But some remain in
print longer than that.
o WHY ARE 2 PRICES SHOWN ON THE BACK OF MY CD?
The smaller of the two is the base price of the CD. The larger is
includes a "value added tax" (VAT) which is what must actually be
initially charged for the CD (as per "2 year limit").
o HOW DO I PLAY STREAMING AUDIO?
First you need software. Some of the more popular ones are listed.
RealMedia/RealAudio
OS: Unix/Linux,Mac,Windows
RealPlayer - http://www.real.com
Streaming MPEG (including M3U and PLS)
OS: Unix/Linux
XMMS - http://www.xmms.org
Zinf (was FreeAmp) - http://www.zinf.org
[note: for those who want software that also plays
CDs, this uses MusicBrainz instead of freedb.org for
CD database]
RealPlayer - http://www.real.com
OS: Mac
iTunes - http://www.apple.com/itunes/
Musicmatch Jukebox - http://www.musicmatch.com/home/
MacAmp - http://www.macamp.com
RealPlayer - http://www.real.com
Player365 - http://www.live365.com (tuned for live365)
[see http://www.mp3-mac.com/Pages/MP3_Players-Mac.html for more]
OS: Windows
Winamp - http://www.winamp.com
Musicmatch Jukebox - http://www.musicmatch.com/home/
FreeAmp - http://www.freeamp.org
[note: for those who want software that also plays
CDs, this uses MusicBrainz instead of freedb.org for
CD database]
Player365 - http://www.live365.com (tuned for live365)
iTunes - http://www.apple.com/itunes
Then you need some broadcasters, some of which are listed
later in this document. Some will allow you to connect directly
to a broadcast (i.e. you can start up the player without the
browser and drop the address right in), others work through a
service like Live365.com (i.e. it might be more convenient or
necessary to access it via browser).
If you need a browser, you need to set it up to use the audio
software. In your browser's applications/helper list you need to
add entries for m3u (audio/x-mpegurl and audio/mpegurl) and
pls (audio/x-scpls), if they aren't already there.
Keep in mind that internet radio broadcasters technically are
supposed to be licensed (for copyright), so if you are fussy
about that sort of thing, look for stations that have paid
the copyright fee (i.e. through ASCAP, JASRAC, or similar).
o WHAT'S THE RECOMMENDED WAY OF PRESENTING MUSIC SAMPLERS ON MY WEB SITE?
OK, setting aside the legality issues discussed elsewhere (shakey
ground here), you want to put up music on your web site so that
other folks can get an idea of what is on a CD. You figure this
is doing your part to increase the profile of anime or at least
anime music. Of course, we do get into the copyright issues.
One idea, which is not recommendable, is to use an extreme
compression factor so that the sound quality deters folks that
want a freebie. But how much is that? Certainly, anything above
128 kbps is very-good to CD quality, so that is out. The fact that
64 kbps is considered bearable by portable MP3 device users
indicates that even 64 kbps is still too high. Then the
recommendation is something more along the lines of 32-48 kbps.
There is another problem with this idea besides trying to find
a bitrate that is low enough to deter copiers, if you are trying
to show how good a CD is, lousy quality sound detracts from your
efforts.
Ok, if detering copying is the issue, then how about streaming
formats, like streaming MP3, Realaudio, and Windows Media Format?
That does deter many copiers, but there are ways to rip that
data. It also means users are limited to bitrates that their
connection allows (e.g. dialups either require low bitrates
or the user gets choppy music). You may also need to invest
in extra conversion software and learn how to host the music,
or find a host (e.g. Live365, Shoutcast). And back in legality
territory, a license may even be required (e.g. streaming MP3
technically requires a license from the MP3 technology rights
holders). Also, keep in mind that some streaming formats
are not playable by certain operating systems (e.g. Linux
vs Mac vs Windows) because the owner of the format may not have
released a version for that OS.
But one aspect of copyrights is that it is considered reasonable
to present parts of a work for criticism or commentary. So
taking that as a cue, if you want folks to hear the music,
present them with clips of highlights from the CDs. You can
increase the sound quality and still deter the pirates. And
by using short samples, the transfer volume is small and you
can put clips from more songs than if you used full songs.
So how long should the clips be? The recommendation seems to
be 20-45 seconds, and the clips should be selected from parts
you think folks will like. There's no point in using the first
30 sec of a song if all that time is spent on an intro (unless
that's the best part, of course). The idea here is that you
are creating your own advertisement or review for the CD.
Indicate the source of the clips and the fact they are copyrighted
by the CD company or whoever is indicated as the copyright holder
on the CD case. Presenting a review or critique of the CD is
also a good idea (which you probably intended to do anyways, or
you wouldn't be considering samplers in the first place).
Keep in mind that the legality issues still should be considered.
In the ideal case, getting permission is best.
o WHAT'S THE SONG THAT PLAYS DURING THAT SCENE...?
- Omoide Poro Poro: The end theme.
song: "The Rose"
note: This is a Japanese adaptation of the song most
commonly associated with Bette Midler.
- Macross Plus Ep. 4: During YF-19 Earth re-entry.
song: Information High
CD: Sharon Apple - Cream P.U.F.
Cat: VICL-15037
- Ghost in the Shell: OP, ED, during the "ride" through the city.
song: Basically "utai" 1,3, and 2, respectively. They are
subtitled, "Making of a Cyborg", "Reincarnation", and
"Ghost City". "utai" literally translates to "noh chant",
which is a chant from a form of Japanese theatre.
Cat: BVCR-729
- Cowboy Bebop Ep. 5: As Spike approaches the Cathedral.
song: Rain
note: the version on CD OST 1 (VICL-60201) is not the
version from the show. However, it is on the "Future
Blues" movie soundtrack (VICL-60756) as a hidden bonus.
- Cowboy Bebop Ep. 5: In the fight between Spike and Vicious in
the cathedral, when Spike goes through the window.
song: Green Bird
CD: "No Disc" OST 2
Cat: VICL-60202
- Detonator Orgun OAV 1, ending theme
song: "Bandiria Ryokodan (Bandiria Travelers)" by Susumu Hirasawa
note: There is another version of this song on Hirasawa's solo album
"Virtual Rabbit", but it lacks the booming chorals that make
the Orgun ending theme so memorable.
Cat: POCH-2025
[Michael Hayden]
- Koko wa Greenwood movie (OAV 5+6), final scene / end theme
song: "Kimi wo Suki de Yokatta" by Asami Hayashi
note: It's worth mentioning because it is NOT included on the
regular Greenwood Vocal Collection (domestic reprint:
JNA-1513-2). Instead it is included only on the extremely
out-of-print Vocal Best Collection (VICL-40078).
Cat: VICL-40078
[Michael Hayden]
- Video Girl Ai OST 6, as Youta climbs the glass staircase
song: "Frozen Flower" by Nav Katze
note: Available on JNA-1512-2. Its appearance in the show is very
brief and almost drowned out by Christmas bells, but it still
catches everyone's attention. Gut-wrenchingly beautiful.
Cat: JNA-1512.02
[Michael Hayden]
o WHAT ARE SOME GOOD ORCHESTRAL, SYMPHONIC, OR CLASSICAL STYLE OST?
As with any music, the recommendations depend on taste. Some of
these original soundtracks are done with real orchestras, others
are synthesized orchestras, and the styles vary widely (say, from
baroque to modern). In some situations, the types of music are
concentrated on specific CDs, so they are identified as such.
The following OSTs are predominantly orchestral in a classical style.
["or" in the catalog number list indicates a Domestic release.]
Arc the Lad - SVWC 1304, SVWC 1306
Cardcaptor Sakura - VICL-60263
Crest of the Stars (Monshou no Seikai) - VPCG-84670
Full Metal Alchemist - SVWC 7191, 7226, & 7251
Gasaraki - VICL 60295, VICL 60296
Giant Robo - BCCM-18, APCM-5007, APCM-5008, COCC-11447 [confirmation needed]
- reprints: TKCA-72240, 72241, 72242
Jin-Roh - VICL-60569
Key The Metal Idol BGM Data Discs - PCCG-00350, 00394, 00045
Macross Plus OST 1 - VICL-570 or JVC-1004-2 or AT9303
Night on the Galactic Railroad - KICG-5030
Planetes - VICL-61235 & 61236
Plastic Little - SRCL 2823
Princess Mononoke - TKCA-71168 or FEB002244, TKCA-71395 or 73138-35944-2
Princess Nine - COCC-15261, COCX-30059
Record of the Lodoss War - VICL-51 or JNA-1502-2, VICL-114 or JNA-1515-2,
VICL-267 or JNA-1516-2
Risky Safety - PCCG-00527
Rurouni Kenshin OVA - SVWC 1006 & 1010
Scrapped Princess - LACA-5188 & 5204
Silent Moebius - VICL-178 or JNA-1518-2, VICL-304 or JAN-1519-2
Super Atragon (Shin Kaitei Gunkan) - KICA 308
Turn A Gundam OST 1 & 3 - KICA-473 & 508
Vision of Escaflowne OST 1 & 3 - VICL-769 & 773
The following has some orchestral pieces in a classical style,
or uses predominantly orchestral instrumentation (or imitation)
not in a classical style.
Devil Hunter Yohko (Mamono Hunter Yohko) - KICA 149
Ghost in the Shell - BVCR-729
Gunbuster: Aim for the Top! (Top o Nerae!) - VICL-2178
Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory - VICL-113 and VICL-40038/40039
Iria: Zeiram the Animation - VICL 530
Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water - TYCY-5136 or 5573
Neon Genesis Evangelion - KICA-286, 290, 300
Patlabor Movie 2 - VPCG-84206
Patlabor Movie 3 "WXIII" - VICL-60851
Revolutionary Girl Utena - KICA-354 & 374 & 387
Robotech Perfect Collection - SDF-CD1
Sailor Moon - too many CDs to list here
(try: http://sailormusic.net/tracks/index.html)
Tenchi Muyo - PICA 1003 & 1011 & 1043
Wings of Honneamise (Aile de Honneamise) - MDCZ-1168~1171
o WHAT SOUNDTRACKS INCLUDE COMPOSITIONS BY CLASSICAL COMPOSERS?
Cowboy Bebop - Tchaikovsky (Waltz of the Flowers)?
End of Summer - Chopin (Prelude in F-major)
Debussy (A little black man, Dream, Dream Variation)
Faure (Dolly Suite, Romance without words - OP.17-No.3,)
Mendehlsson (Silent Collection OP.53-No.1)
Ravel (Sonatine - 2nd movement)
Evangelion - Handel (Halleluja Chorus from Messiah)
Handel (Blessed are the Lamb, Amen from Messiah)
Beethoven (Symphony #9 - choral)
Pachebel (Kanon D-Dur)
Bach (Cello Suite #1 - Prelude)
Bach (Jesus, Joy of Man's Desiring)
Bach (II Air) [is that "II" for real?]
Excel Saga - L. v. Beethoven (short sections of 4th movement from 9th Symph)
FLCL - Kabalevsky (The Comedians - Gallop)
Gakkou no Kaidan - Beethoven (Fur Elise)
Geobreeders 2 - L. v. Beethoven (short sections of 4th movement of 9th Symph)
Giant Robo - Donizetti (aria from L'Elisir d'Amore)
Gunbuster - Mascagni (intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana)
Handel (Messiah)?
Dvorak (New World Symphony)
Hana Yori Dango - Mahler (which Symphony?)
Harlock Saga - Wagner (Ring of the Neibulung) [based on or actual use?]
His and Her Circumstances (KareKano) - L.v. Beethoven (Symphony #?)
Irresponsible Captain Tylor - Rossini (William Tell Overture)
Kaleido Star - Richard Strauss (Also Sprach Zarathustra [best known as
the "2001" theme], in episode 20)
Legend of the Galactic Heroes movie - Ravel (Bolero)
Love Hina - Erik Satie (several bars from Gymnopedie No. 1 in Episode 12)
Stravinski (Night on Bald Mountain)
Magnetic Rose - Puccini (aria from Madame Butterfly)
Nazca - J.S. Bach (?)
Patlabor III - Beethoven (adagio from Pathetique sonata)
Princess Nine - Schubert (Andante con moto from Piano Trio in E Flat)
Princess Tutu - Are you kidding? What composer isn't represented in
this show? For a partial list, see (beware, there are
potential spoilers):
http://www.geocities.com/ruigarashi/FAQS/raa_music/princess_tutu_composers.txt
Rahxephon - A. Borodin (Polovtsian Dance No. 17 from "Prince Igor")
Read or Die - Beethoven (Symphony #9, 4th movment)
- ? (Greensleeves - music box version)
Sailor Moon - A. Vivaldi (4 Seasons "Summer")
- J.S. Bach (Toccata and Fugue in D minor)
- L. v. Beethoven (Symphony #5 & #9)
- F. Chopin (Sonata #2)
- Franz Lehar ("Merry Widow")
- Johann Strauss Jr. ("Blue Danube")
Utena - Berlioz (2nd movement of Symphonie Fantastique)
Violinist of Hamelin - Rossini (William Tell Overture)
- Bizet (Carmen Overture)
- Beethoven (Violin Concerto)
- much much more
common wedding song - Wagner (Lohengrinn)
o WHAT SOUNDTRACKS USE SONGS OR MUSIC FROM OTHER NON-ANIME SOURCES?
These are shows that used songs or music that were not originally
written for the show (e.g. were written before). Many are pieces
written by non-Japanese artists.
Evangelion - "Fly Me to the Moon" by Bart Howard (1954), most
notable version sung by Frank Sinatra
FLCL - many songs by The Pillows [needs confirmation of prior release]
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence - "Follow Me" by Kretzmer, Shapey,Rodrigo
G.T.O. - "S.O.S." by Pink Lady
Gunslinger Girl - "The Light Before We Land" by The Delgados
Hanada Shounen Shi - "The One" and "Drowning," performed by the
Backstreet Boys
His and Her Circumstances - "S.O.S." by Pink Lady.
Maison Ikkoku - "Alone Again (Naturally)", "Get Down" by Gilbert O'Sullivan
Metropolis - "I Can't Stop Loving You" by Don Gibson, sung by Ray Charles.
Nana 7 of 7 (Shichinin no Nana) - "The Maple Leaf Rag" by Scott Joplin
Night Walker - "Gessekai" by Buck-Tick
Noir - "Copperia no Hitsugi" by Ali Project
Serial Experiments Lain - "Duvet" by Boa. "HimuraLain" recommends
checking http://www.boaweb.co.uk in the biography section to
explain the circumstances around that particular acquisition
by Pioneer.
Teki wa Kaizoku (Enemy's the Pirate) - "It's Only Love", "Danger on
the Street" and "Big Beat, No Heart", by Lea Heart, Paul Dianno,
Biff Byford. [need confirmation of prior release]
Texhnolyze - "Guardian Angel" by Juno Reactor
Urusei Yatsura - 'almost every piece of the Beatles' "Magical Mystery
Tour" album... (Along with the occasional disco-ized "When You
Wish Upon a Star"' - Derek Janseen
Black Heaven - "Cautionary Warning" by John Sykes. ""Cautionary Warning"
first appeard on John's album "20th Century" (Mercury Japan PHCR-1590,
released in 1997), two years before "Black Heaven" was released in
Japan (1999)." - Glenn Shaw
Speed Grapher - "Girls on Film" by Duran Duran
Paradise Kiss - "Do You Want To" by Franz Ferdinand
Ergo Proxy - "Paranoid Android" by Radiohead
o WHAT SOUNDTRACKS FEATURED NON-JAPANESE ARTISTS?
These are STs that featured singers or lyricists that collaborated
in, or contributed to, the music production and were not Japanese.
[maintainer's note: I added a bunch of names without confirming
nationality. Please point out errors where you can. - 2005-02-27]
Cowboy Bebop - featured singers Carla Vallet, Emily Bindiger,
Hassan Bohmide, Steve Conte, Tulivu-Donna Cumberbatch,
Jerzy Knetig
- lyrics by Tim Jensen, Brian Richy, Chris Mosdell
Full Metal Alchemist - VERA
Gankutsuou (The Count of Monte Cristo) - Jean Jacques Burnel (better
known as JJBurnel from the band The Stranglers
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
- featured singers Ilaria Graziano, Scott Matthew, Origa,
Emily Curtis, Shanti Snyder
- lyrics by Tim Jenson, Troy, Origa, Shanti Snyder, Chris Mosdell,
Ilaria Graziano
Ghost in the Shell Movie - Fang Ka Wing
Harmageddon - soundtrack supervised by Keith Emerson
L/R (Licensed by Royalty) - Billy Preston
Last Exile - lyrics by Damian Broomhead
Maison Ikkoku - Mark Goldenberg wrote some of the instrumentals
Monster - ED theme "For the Love of Life" performed by David Sylvian
Project A-ko - Joey Carbone and Richie Zito
RG Veda - music by Nick Wood
Sol Bianca: The Legacy - featured singer Stella Furst; lyrics by Marie Cochrane
Tenchi Muyo in Love - music by Christopher Franke
- ED sung by Nina Hagen and Rick Jude
Wolf's Rain - featured singers Steve Conte, Joyce, Raj Ramaya,
Ilaria Graziano, Franco Sansalone
(need confirmation for J, RR, and FS)
- lyrics by Tim Jensen, Joyce, Raj Ramayya, Ilaria Graziano,
Chris Mosdell, Troy, Franco Sansalone
----------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Artists
o WHO WROTE THE SOUNDTRACK FOR THIS SHOW?
Here is a short and far from complete list of soundtrack writers,
and, in some cases, their web site. Names are listed surname first.
Amano Masamichi - Super Atragon, Princess Nine
Arisawa Takinori - Sailor Moon
Hisaishi Joe - Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind, Laputa: Castle
in the Sky, Kiki's Delivery Service, Porco Rosso,
Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away
http://www.joehisaishi.com
Hogari Hisaaki - My Dear Marie, Gasaraki
Iwasaki Taku - Rurouni Kenshin OVAs, Witch Hunter Robin, Read or Die
Kanno Yoko - Macross Plus, Vision of Escaflowne (not the North
American TV version, though a little was left in), Cowboy
Bebop, Brain Powerd, Magnetic Rose segment of Memories,
Turn A Gundam, Chikyuu Shoujo Arjuna (Earth Girl Arjuna),
Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex
Kawai Kenji - Patlabor (TV, OAVs, movies), Mermaid's Forest,
Blue Seed, Irresponsible Captain Tylor, Vampire Princess
Miyu (OAV and TV), Ghost in the Shell, Devilman, Maison
Ikkoku TV, Ranma 1/2: Big Trouble in Nekonron
http://www.kenjikawai.com/
Mitsumune Shinkichi - Revolutionary Girl Utena, Nurse Angel
Rarika SOS
Mizoguchi Hajime - Please Save My Earth, Jin-Roh, ~1/3 Escaflowne
http://www.archcello.com/
Nagaoka Seiko - Tenchi Muyo, El Hazard, Sol Bianca: The Legacy, Stellvia
Oshima Michiru - Arc the Lad, Full Metal Alchemist
http://www.michiru-oshima.com/
Otani Kou - You're Under Arrest, Haibane Renmei, Daphne in the
Brilliant Blue
Reichi Nakaido ("Chabo") - Serial Experiments Lain
Sakamoto Ryuichi - Wings of Honneamise
http://www.sitesakamoto.com/
Tanaka Kohei - Sakura Taisen
Terashima Tamiya - Key the Metal Idol, Plastic Little
http://www.dd.iij4u.or.jp/~tamiya/index.shtml
Tsuru Nohihiro - Mermaid's Scar
Vink - All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl, Slayers
Yasuda Takeshi - Oh My Goddess OVA
Wood, Nick - RG Veda
o IS GABRIELLE ROBIN ACTUALLY YOKO KANNO?
There is evidence that suggests this. See the
"Tenkuu no Kanno Yoko" site:
http://www.geocities.com/helixcat_2000/main.html
(click on "PROFILE", scroll down to the end of the
section about Yoko Kanno)
However, she has yet to 'fess up.
o WHAT LANGUAGE DOES GABRIELLA ROBIN SING IN?
As one rec.arts.anime poster once wrote, it's LizFraserese
(i.e. Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins is well known for
her "screwing up the lyrics" experiments in phoenetics). In
Robin's case, often, it's gibberish that sounds kind of French.
o WHICH VOICE ACTORS ALSO HAVE A SINGING CAREER?
Some VAs seem to be committed to a singing career in addition to
(or vice versa) voice acting, either in regularly performing live
or releasing CDs. Others either make appearances or produce CDs
in support of a show, and may do so infrequently. It's hard to
say what constitutes a career, but there are quite a number of
VAs that have at some point sang in addition to voice acting. The
list is long enough that it shouldn't really be included here.
Check Seiyuu databases, listed in the "Online Anime Music Resources"
section. For example, Hitoshi Doi's Seiyuu Database is searchable
and also broken down by different categories. You can also try the
online CD stores (e.g. CDJapan) for specific actresses that you
know (e.g. by looking it up in Hitoshi's Seiyuu database :) .
----------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Legality Issues with Anime Music
o LEGALITY OF COPYING ANIME MUSIC
From Avatar's (a.k.a. Andy Kent) Japanese Animation Legality FAQ
(http://member.newsguy.com/~memoirs/legal.html - note this is
not being maintained at the moment, just archived),
No, you can't copy a CD full of anime songs either. @_@ Unless
you're making a personal copy onto tape for use in your car or
such, and even that's touchy from a legal perspective.
As some folks have pointed out, if you pay the copyright fee or
whatever given stipulated terms, of course you can. Many music
related clubs do this, and in some countries there is a levy on
recordable CDs to accomodate the recording industry. Time shifting
(e.g. making a temporary copy of a TV show while you are away
from home so that you can see it when you get home), and space
shifting (e.g. making a tape or MP3 of songs you paid for so you
can listen to them in your CD-less car) have been allowed, but
the allowances are quite restrictive. Copying MP3s from Napster,
for example, when you don't own a legal copy of the CD they came
from was ruled definitely illegal. One key issue of legality is
that you have to own a legitimate copy (produced by rights holder,
sold legally to you, or to an individual who then gave it to you)
BEFORE you make any copies, or generate any other form of copy.
If you can't prove that, you can assume your copy is illegal.
Otherwise, the Fair Use clause of any nation's copyright laws tend
to be difficult to gauge, such that it is better to assume a copy
is illegal. Keep in mind, that Fair Use clauses tend to be oriented
more towards "purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting,
teaching, scholarship, or research" (US Code Title 17, Chapter 1,
Section 107). At the very least, it's handled case-by-case.
o IF NO PROFIT IS MADE, IT ISN'T ILLEGAL, IS IT?
Not true. There have been quite a few cases in the US where a
finding of violation was made even if no profit was made, or no
money exchanged. As long as some party benefits to the exclusion
of the rights holder, there is a good chance of a finding of
violation. That means even trading CDR or MP3 of songs is most
probably illegal if the original CD does not accompany them.
o BUT I CAN'T AFFORD THE ORIGINALS, DOESN'T THAT COUNT?
Now we are getting into moral issues. The law says that getting
copies without permission or license is illegal (sometimes even
criminal), so regardless of moral issues, your financial standing
doesn't matter. That is, as far as the law is concerned, getting or
making a copy without permission or license is not much different
than grabbing the orignal CD off the shelf and walking out of
the store without paying for it (except that doing so is always
criminal, I think, a matter of degree), so you shouldn't do it.
There is also the issue of supporting the market. Until now, we
have had little choice but to import our favourite anime STs (with
limited exceptions). As such, we may be a small part of the anime
CD market, but there's nothing saying we aren't an unoticeable
part. Bootlegs reduce our visibility, and would present a bigger
obstacle than bootlegs of videos because music is a more universally
accessible medium (no need to translate). But anime, and anime CDs,
are a niche market. As such, we should worry about the effects on
attempts to market non-Japanese releases of our favourite STs.
Remember, these folks not only have to pay a license in addition to
the usual overhead, but they have to convince the Japanese companies
that it's worth giving the licence in the first place. Someone
out there is keeping track of how much anime CD exporting there is,
and bootlegs detract from that.
I mention the above because ADV and TRSI have started a joint
venture to bring at least 100 anime CDs to North America in
2002, and we should think about supporting that.
Now if you allow me this digression, really, getting anime CDs isn't
a right, it's a luxury. As such, we shouldn't really expect prices
to oblige us to that extent (after all, that's what capitalism
is about). That is, if you are concerned about moral issues,
it's like any item we can survive without, if we can't afford it
we should do without until we can afford it. We have to live
with that on stuff we consider more essential than anime CDs,
so it should apply with anime CDs, too.
Then it's just a question of what you are morally and legally
willing to live with. If these considerations aren't a concern,
your financial standing is the main consideration. If they are
a concern, then your financial standing doesn't count. It's up
to you. Just be aware that rec.arts.anime.music has a few vocal
objectors to bootlegs.
o BUT THE CD I WANT IS OUT OF PRINT
Ok, another moral territory issue. Setting the moral issue aside
for the moment, there are other means of getting the CD. You can
check out used CD stores, both brick-and-mortar (if you are so
lucky as to have one nearby) and online (some are listed in this
FAQ). You can check out the online auction sites, being careful
to check catalog numbers, and the usual precautions against fraud.
You can inquire in the rec.arts.anime.marketplace newsgroup.
As far as the moral issues are concerned, one argument against bootleg
CDs, similar to the affordability perspective, is that acquiring CDs
is a luxury and not a right. The notion that "you can live without
it, do without", applies similarly here, especially considering you do
without with more important stuff.
Concerns regarding the domestic market for non-Japanese re-releases
also apply here as with the affordability perspective. In some sense,
moreso because the domestic prices tend to be comparable to the
bootleggers' (outrageous) prices. That can also lead to some confusion
as to what is a legitimate low priced CD.
Finally, not all CDs remain out of print. Some CDs get a new pressing
after only a couple years, which helps us folks on the other side of the
planet that only get a chance to see the anime a couple years after
the Japanese showing. Some CDs, like the Nadia and Patlabor CDs,
enjoyed a re-release many years after.
o IS MY INTERNET RADIO OR STREAMING AUDIO SITE ILLEGAL?
You may be avoiding direct copying of works, but you still have
to worry about broadcasting rights. If you or your service have
paid the license or gotten authorization from the rights holder,
you're legal. If you haven't, your site may well be in violation.
Keep in mind, if you are running as a member of a licensed broadcast
service like Live365.com, you may be ok; it depends on if their
licensor covers the foreign works you are broadcasting. As usual,
your programs have to be made from legitimate copies (e.g. not
from CDR or MP3 you got in a trade).
o HOW DOES ONE GET AN INTERNET BROADCAST LICENSE?
It varies from country to country, but most countries have an
organization like ASCAP (see below) that you can contact. They
usually handle a variety of licensing packages to suit the
scale of the licensee.
o WHAT IS ASCAP AND JASRAC, AND WHAT DO THEY DO?
[this needs confirmation and should not be considered reliable
information]
These organizations look after copyright management for their members.
They give out licenses, collect royalties, and distribute the money
from licensing and royalties. Their members are the rights holders
of the work they license. These organizations are limited to a
country, but there may be more than one in a country. Many of these
organizations are members of international cooperatives through
respective agreements. This allows works covered by one organization
to get royalties from performances in another country. ASCAP is
a North American licensing organization, and JASRAC is a Japanese
one. If someone wanted to use an anime CD in a broadcast fundraiser
in Houston, Texas, that person would pay the licensing fee perhaps
to ASCAP, and then ASCAP would pass money along to JASRAC, who
then gives the money to the writers, the studios, etc, in Japan.
Here's a sample list of organizations in some countries.
USA
American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP)
http://www.ascap.com/
Broadcast Music, Inc (BMI)
http://bmi.com/
Canada
Society of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers of Canada
http://www.socan.ca/
UK
Performing Right Society (PRS)
http://www.prs.co.uk/
Japan
Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers, and
Publishers (JASRAC)
http://www.jasrac.or.jp/ejhp/index.htm
o WHAT IS THE ACTUAL COPYRIGHT LAW?
There is no one copyright law for all nations. The Berne Treaty
(see below) tries to make copyright laws of signing nations
consistent and to add just enough glue to protect international
works. Copyright laws of various nations can be found at these
sites.
Japan
http://www.cric.or.jp/ (Japanese)
http://www.cric.or.jp/cric_e/index.html (English)
USA
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/
Canada
http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/C-42/index.html
Australia
http://scaleplus.law.gov.au/html/pasteact/0/244/top.htm
UK
http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts1988/Ukpga_19880048_en_1.htm
o WHAT IS THE "BERNE CONVENTION"?
The Berne treaty is an international treaty that outlines the
basic copyrights that all signatory nations will abide by.
The main points are:
- works created in a foreign nation will be treated as if
created domestically.
- all artists have the exclusive right to authorize
translations, reproduction, performance, and adaptation
of their works.
- all artists have the right of integrity and attribution
- signatory nations can have even more and stronger
copyright rules than the treaty stipulates.
The number of signatory nations that have NOT signed the
treaty is a small minority of all nations. An HTML version of
the Berne Treaty can be found at:
http://www.wipo.int/clea/docs/en/wo/wo001en.htm
or at
http://www.law.cornell.edu/treaties/berne/overview.html
Other international treaties can be found at the World Intellectual Property
Organization web site (http://www.wipo.org/):
http://www.wipo.org/treaties/ip/index.html
A list of signatory nations can be found at:
http://www.wipo.org/treaties/documents/english/pdf/e-berne.pdf
o ARE SON MAY/EVER ANIME CDS BOOTLEGS?
In all Berne convention signatory nations, yes, they are. These are
made by Taiwanese companies that did not get permission, or pay
licenses, to reproduce and distribute most (if not all) of their
anime CDs. As far as the CD data for a given song is concerned they
are identical to the original. They are also getting difficult to
identify by package quality, as their print copying is getting
pretty good.
Other common bootleg companies seem to be:
Smile Face
Alion
Miya Records
It is up to the you to decide if buying a bootleg is acceptable
to you. Similarly, it is up to you how you should react to a
store that sells bootlegs.
Note: As of 1 January, 2002, Taiwan joined the World Trade Organization,
and thus became obliged to enforce international copyright. The current
batch of bootleggers (Son May, Ever Anime, Smile Face, Alion) are
expected to disappear soon.
o HOW CAN I TELL IF AN ANIME CD IS A BOOTLEG CD?
If you are buying CDs off the shelf, CDs from these companies are
clearly labelled as "Son May", "SM CD", or "Ever Anime", so they
aren't difficult to identify. But when online shopping, it is
always a good idea to do a little research beforehand. You can get
catalog information from CD information sites and online CD stores
in Japan. If you forget the actual number, knowing which company
released the CD and the prefix they use can help a lot. The more
common ones are listed with the next few questions.
There is a good site for more general anime bootleg information at
http://www.digital.anime.org.uk/piratefaq.html
There you can find images of the SM and Ever Anime logos, as well
as other anime piracy information.
Another decent general anime bootleg information site is
http://members.austarmetro.com.au/~mwhitley/bootleg.htm
It's focus is more on the Australian market, but the bootleg info
is relevant.
o WHAT ARE THE PREFIXES FOR JAPANESE ANIME CDS?
For the legitimate Japanese companies, common catalog prefixes are:
BVDP - BMG Japan
COCC,COCX - Columbia Japan
GNCA - Geneon Entertainment (formerly Pioneer)
JMI - JVC
KICA,KIDA,KICS,KICM - King Record (Starchild)
KTCR - Kitty
LACA - Lantis
MMCC - Marine Entertainment
PICA,PIDA - Pioneer
PCCG - Pony Canyon
SVWC,SRCL - Sony (including Aniplex)
TKCA,<2digits>ATC - Tokuma Japan
TYCY,TYDY - Toshiba-EMI (Futureland)
VICL,VIDL - Victor
VPCG - Vap
WPCL - Warner Music Japan
o WHAT ARE THE PREFIXES FOR NON-JAPANESE ANIME CDS?
There are some companies in North America and elsewhere outside of
Japan that have, or had, licenses for some anime CDs:
AT - Animetrax, a joint ADVFilms and Right Stuf label
? - ADV Music
RSCD - Right Stuff International
TPCD - Soundtrax, TokyoPop's CD label
JMI|JVC|JNA - JVC
USM - Central Park Media/US Manga Corps
PICD - Geneon/Pioneer
####-# - Geneon Entertainment USA
####-CD - Bandai
CD-<2 letters> - Viz Music
TOF - Tofu Records
DSCD - Demon Soundtracks (UK)
73138-#####-# - Milan
For more information on domestically released anime CDs, see
Chris Sypal's Domestic Anime CD Guide at
http://www.radiks.net/~csypal/cds
AniMusic: The Ultimate List of American Released Anime CDs
http://www.shizukapress.com/Otaking/Animusic/animusic.html
o ARE THERE PREFIXES FOR BOOTLEGGED CDS?
For some, yes. For the most common bootleggers:
GGG,GA,GSM,SM,A&G,GAME,CK,SMA - Son May
A8 - Ever Anime
ALCA - Alion
KA,HO - Smile Face
MICA - Miya Records
o ISN'T IT ILLEGAL FOR STORES TO SELL SM/EA CDS?
Yes, it is. However, copyright laws require the copyright holder
to submit a complaint, rather than having law enforcement agencies
search for infringements. Most anime-related Japanese companies
haven't seen fit to pursue the matter, so stores can get away with
selling bootleg products. However, doing so does leave them open
to prosecution if a CD company suddently decides to clamp down.
If you feel strongly enough against a store selling bootlegs,
point out the items to the store manager/owner. Sometimes they
don't know any better. If they sell them knowingly, and if you
feel strongly enough about it, you can tell the manager you will
not patronize the store and will tell your friends about it.
Just be sure you have another source of anime goods.
o BUT WHY ISN'T COPYRIGHT ACTUALLY ENFORCED?
Copyright laws are mostly civil laws rather than criminal laws
(though there are criminal sections in many copyright laws).
Accordingly those kinds of laws are typically pursued by lawsuit
rather than actively by some agency like police or customs
departments. That means the copyright holder must file a suit in
order for action to take place against a violator. The onus is
probably also on the plaintiff to somehow show infringement
(e.g. some sort of damage) occured. This method of enforcement
is probably necessary to protect the general public from degrees
of enforcement that were not intended for rights holders against
the general public.
One should keep in mind that copyright laws are intended to foster
scientific and creative progress by giving creators confidence
that they can sustain their work (and themselves pursuant to that
work). Activities that are restricted to an individual have a
much smaller impact on that confidence. Large scale activities
will have a larger impact, and at some point a noticeable impact.
As such, copyright laws seem geared more towards large scale
activities rather than the activities restricted to an individual.
Therefore the copyright laws allows for a fair bit of discretion
or flexibility when it comes to determining violation.
o IF THE RIGHTS HOLDERS DON'T ACT, DON'T THEY LOSE THEIR RIGHTS?
No, not at all. Copyright laws protect a work for many decades
regardless of whether the rights holder ever acted. The rights
holder can in fact take action at just about any time on any of
many infractions, though there can be some limits on how long ago
a violation can be sued for.
The two main ways of losing the rights, or the for the work to
enter the "public domain", is a) the passage of time past the
duration stipulated by law (many decades), or b) the rights holder
explicitly stipulating the the rights have been relinquished into
the public domain.
o WHAT IS THIS RUMOR ABOUT LICENSING MP3 SOFTWARE?
Well, encoding and playback software are also subject to intellectual
property rights (patents), and in this case the rights holders of
the MP3 format (Fraunhofer IIS-A and Thomson Multimedia) are going
around to writers of MP3 software demanding a fee or royalty (of
$0.75 US) for every unit of player software sold. That shouldn't
impact anyone getting player or encoder software as part of a
purchased package. If the playback software is distributed as
freeware, it is also royalty free. However, for ALL encoders, a
license is needed, and thus royalties must be paid (starting at
$2.50 per encoder sold or given for free).
You also need a license to provide REVENUE GENERATING MP3 content
on the internet. Fee's are based on gross income (including
advertising and subscription), so with no income the license
is free. This is on top of a copyright license for the music.
The 2001 version of the licensing pages at
http://www.mp3licensing.com
stirred up a bit of a fuss when it seemed to change the long standing
freeware policy. It turns out to have been a wording error, and there
were actually no changes since 1995.
As a result of these code copyrights though, there has been a movement
to use the Ogg Vorbis audio file format, which is license- and royalty-
free.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
A. About this FAQ
o WHAT IS THIS FAQ FOR?
(from "Welcome to rec.arts.anime.music" FAQ)
This FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) is a companion to a set of FAQs
for the rec.arts.anime.music newsgroup and anime music in general.
It is intended to be a reference of basic information about the news
group, e.g. the kinds of topics that are intended. As a set, the
FAQs are intended as a reasonably accessible reference to basic
information about the news group, rec.arts.anime.music, and topics
that are frequently encountered as a fan progresses from novice to
"expert". They are posted once a month in rec.arts.anime.music.
They are not by any means comprehensive, and are subject to the
changes of the times. Items that could do with more input are
tagged with "editor's note" and a note, delimited by '[' and ']'.
If you have any suggestions, corrections, or submissions, please
send them to me or post them in rec.arts.anime.music.
For information about the news group itself (e.g. what are or aren't
considered appropriate topics for postings, see the "Welcome to
REC.ARTS.ANIME.MUSIC" FAQ.
o WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THIS FAQ?
(from "Welcome to rec.arts.anime.music" FAQ)
This rec.arts.anime.music FAQ was originally created and maintained
by Steve Pearl, the moderator of rec.arts.anime.info, who saw the
need for introductory FAQs for many of the rec.arts.anime news groups
as they were being created in 1996. He maintained them until the
fall of 1998.
In January of 2001, maintainance of this FAQ was assumed by the
current maintainer, and after significant revisions and updates,
regular posting resumed in March, 2001. Steve's entries are
attributed by [SP], or [SP,RI] where I've made significant changes.
In May of 2003, the FAQ was split into two documents, one for
information about the newsgroup (this one) titled "Welcome to
REC.ARTS.ANIME.MUSIC" and one for anime music information titled
"Anime Music FAQ for REC.ARTS.ANIME.MUSIC". The latter was split
into multiple parts.
The current maintainer and this news group owe a debt of gratitude
to Steve Pearl, for his foresight at the birth of this news group
and the effort he put into this and other rec.arts.anime FAQs.
Wherever you are, Steve, Thanks.
o WHAT ARE THOSE OTHER ANIME MUSIC FAQS?
"Welcome to rec.arts.anime.music" - an FAQ regarding the newsgroup itself
http://www.geocities.com/ruigarashi/FAQS/raa_music/
or
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet-by-group/rec.arts.anime.music/
[editor's note:
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet-by-hierarchy/rec/arts/anime/music/
is temporarily out of order]
o WHERE CAN I FIND THE LATEST VERSION OF THIS FAQ?
This FAQ is posted every 4 weeks to
rec.arts.anime.music
rec.arts.anime.info
The latest working copy that contains changes going into the next
official posting can be found at
http://www.geocities.com/ruigarashi/FAQS/raa_music/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
B. Contributors
As with most FAQs, the information documented in the
rec.arts.anime.music FAQ comes from many people (yes, anime fans
are people, too). Our thanks should go to these people.
Steve Pearl (who started this FAQ)
Avatar
Chika
Clinton Moulds
Daniel (a.k.a. vanfanel)
Joshua Kaufman
K.E. Bosco
Mike Quin
Nikkou
Nobutoshi Ito
Pipian
Rob Kelk
Rob Maxwell
Ru Igarashi
Simon Palko
Thomas Chan
Tom Norrill
Wayne C. Morris
Terrence Huey
Michael Hayden
Joe Curzon
Glenn Shaw
Nunya Biznes
Kaijyuu Miyuki-chan
Josh Berry
Eric VanHeest
Zoe (of zoemi.com)
James Mccawley
Phil Lee
Dave Watson
Sean O'Connor
John Lee Baird
HimuraLain
Skeleton Man
Mark Weiss
Anthony D. Baranyi
Anime-niac
Jen Stantz
Sean Robinson
----------------------------------------------------------------------
C. Disclaimer
This document is provided without any warrantees, implied or
expressed. The editor assumes no responsibility for damages
resulting from the use of the information the document contains
or the lack thereof.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Edited by Ru Igarashi.
E-mail submissions and questions about the newsgroup to
ru.igarashi[at]usask.ca.
