ComicBitsOnline.com

To which I replied: 

2008/10/4 Terry Hooper <hoopercomicsuk@ yahoo.com>“Well,last year I believe it was,I offered downloads and they were going like mad. The English language versions from Dr Master or even Udon,etc.,are available in the UK and though I keep being asked to scan and offer them as downloads I really can’t because that is illegal and as I run CBO I’d be doing that and cutting my own throat. There are Chinese comic downloads out there but I can’t really give out links since some publishers have links to this site.T “
Then silence until this email: 

RS wrote:“being sincere, Manga and several comics just became popular because the piracy. Even one of the largest american comics comics, the DC Comics, say without the organized piracy made by several scanners some titles never could sell their TPB strongly. So the scans are usefull to make the characters and the books popular enough to sell out of comic shop circuit. If you have any question about the piracy power, go check Comic Book Resources and look for the topics related to them.  

And by the way, why the chinese comic book companies never try use sites like CBR, Newsarama among others to promote their books? I never saw any news about Weapon of Gods or similar books at that sites. “ 

Of course,I had to respond to this and make it clear what my position was: 

“Interesting.  When I did interviews for Silver Bullet Comics [SBC] they would not touch Chinese Manhua.   Komics Live have been legally warned off,as have other sites,from uploading DC or Marvel scans. Smaller comic companies who depend on EVERY sale to keep publishing can be put out of business by scanners. The idea with this group is that,as far as I can find on an internet search,it is the only one in the UK/Europe looking at Chinese comics -the same with my web sites.  Therefore,it is safe to say that very few people are getting access to Chinese language comics -the English language versions from Taiwan,Singapore and Hong Kong are not available here to help promote them -after all,we have a MAJOR Chinese population in the UK,let alone Europe! Singapore and HK groups will NOT share scans even between members -I’ve tried for ten years via Singapore Comics Online,HK sites and even Hobbyhype where pointing out that you cannot get these comics in the UK and asking whether anyone has scans they can share PRIVATELY has resulted in me getting chastised because “its illegal” -no,only if I then mass distribute the scans. Someone did send me scans of Chinese language comics but under the strictest guarantee that I would never tell who he is!   When it comes to Dr Master,Udon, Yaoi Press,etc.,I have a position of trust.  I run CBO [Comic Bits Online -www.comicbitsonlin e] and review their books to promote them and people ARE buying based on the reviews.  I could never and would never scan what they send me -their sites show pages of art so people can see what they are thinking of buying.  It would be a betrayal of trust with the companies to scan their books this way. The same applies to other companies who send their books to me. I know that the comics I’ve written and had published in the

I had very similar problems,as noted,with some of my other groups.  Everyone wanted downloads,there were no “thank yous” or discussion and it got to the point that members were rudely demanding more downloads.  I explained my position and asked for feedback or discussion. Nothing.  After months I said I was closing the group but got angry responses[!] demanding more downloads “because this is all we want”.  Then I was told by several members that I’d never close a group with 2000 members.  I closed the group. 

There is nothing anyone can do to stop scanners.  They simply move on and open new sites.  

If it came down to a group existing solely for downloading scans I’d close it. I closed ten down late last year. 

As for CBO illegally scanning books sent –NEVER! 

Point made?