But it is. I mean I'm not the one starting a campaign trying to point people to legal streams. If you looked at that database site you'd see they are already pointing to many US exclusive services and even CrunchyRoll links aren't a guarantee is many shows on their are also region locked. If someone wants a show, and they can't get it legally, their choices are write to every local companies pleading for them to license a show and then waiting, spoofing their IP address or pirating it. I don't think anyone is going to bother with the first option. The second one is also seen as illegal and services like Netflix have tried to crack down on it.
I know government is a hurdle with certain content laws that need to be appeased (see Germany for everything under the sun), but at the end of the day none of this is my concern. The end user is selfish and only cares about getting content. The companies should be lobbying for less restrictions on releasing goods abroad. But like the individual, companies only want to take the easy option.
Let's see... Napster was released 1999 and is commonly sourced are the start of music sharing, and it's safe to say it was around before then, and we're now in 2014. So 15+ years the public at large have engaged in piracy to the point that many don't even consider the legal implications of it. This is the reality these companies have to face. Honestly all I can say at this point is good luck to them, because they need it.
Of course we're talking about companies that thought the best way to tackle piracy was to put anti piracy ads on legally bought DVDs resulting only in the moral consumer being punished.
it's not about releasing content (or inability to). Toei Animation is a Japanese company. They do Sailor Moon Crystal. Presumably the reason they are doing Sailor Moon Crystal is because they want to (somehow) make money off of it when people watch it. Advertising. Paid streaming. DVDs, BDs, etc. They can make money in these ways in Japan because they are a Japanese company.
But you want Sailor Moon Crystal released in the UK. I'm sure they're not against that either because presumably you are willing to give them money (somehow) to see it, and they would love your money. The problem now comes though that a Japanese company who operates solely in Japan can't really make money in the UK as the UK has no control or regulation (or most importantly taxation) over a Japanese company. Again it's not because the UK won't let Toei Animation release SMC in the UK, but because the UK CAN'T allow Toei Animation to make money off of SMC, or more importantly if they did have no way of seeing a cut of that revenue.
This is where licensees come in. They are domestic companies (in this case a UK company) that take a share of the workload to bring a piece of media over to that country/area, are entitled to see revenue from doing so, and in return.. hey look at that!!! The country is now within right to tax that revenue and see money also!
So that's what I mean when I said "it's really not their problem, too bad for you." Because the only way they can get around this is either a) get a licensee (what you are already complaining about), or b) start up their own operating company in EVERY single country in the world bitching because they didn't get release X released locally. Just not realistic.
I mean I'm not saying "shut up." or "your wrong". Just pointing out that "I'm the customer. I don't care and am selfish. They need to cater to the customer." really won't get you anywhere, especially saying it to them. They agree with you most likely. But again while the internet is global, things like domestic laws and taxation, foreign imports, forgeing operating companies, etc.. aren't anywhere near that global. That's not a change in the media industry that has to happen.. That's a change in interntational trade agreements and such.
I just want to give someone money so I can watch things and support the studio who produced it. Why you gotta make this hard?
and this is exactly the point. Don't think for a second that said company doesn't want to TAKE your money and let you watch it. But if Japanese Company A accepted UK Citizen B's money to watch a show... the UK government (department of revenue or whatever) would be PISSED that you, as a UK citizen, spent money that they legally had no way or right to tax. Japanese Company A, in the government's view, just took money right out of their pocket.
