CATDOLL: Japanese media: Although Chinese "subtitle groups" do not make profits, they are infringing

According to the Japanese Sankei Shimbun, Chinese "subtitle groups" are very familiar and loved by netizens. They provide Japanese anime and Chinese subtitles of TV dramas from various countries for free, and each subtitle group will compete in translation speed and quality. The Japanese Sankei Shimbun said that the subtitle group insisted on translating without payment just because of love. The Sankei Shimbun reported that these translated works actually have no copyright and are an infringement, but it also reflects that Japanese culture is very popular among young Chinese people. The newspaper reporter interviewed some subtitle group members in Beijing.

A 28-year-old woman who started joining a subtitle group about two years ago said: "I don't feel guilty because I don't charge any fees. I just do it because I like it." She joined the subtitle group because she became a fan of a young Japanese actor. At that time, the Japanese drama starring the actor was looking for a subtitle group online, so the woman joined. She did not study Japanese specifically, but only learned it at a language school.

Many members of the subtitle group are college students who have plenty of spare time. The 28-year-old woman interviewed by the reporter works for a Japanese company. When asked why she accepted free translation, she said: "Because of love, the feelings for my favorite actor and his works, the sense of fulfillment I get from translation is my motivation."

The woman also revealed that the subtitle group is mainly divided into three departments. The "source group" is responsible for obtaining foreign works through different methods, the "translation group" is responsible for translation, and the "post-production group" is responsible for adding subtitles and posting them online. The subtitle group she belongs to has about 20 translators. She admitted that the activities of the subtitle group are not legal, but she also said: "Because the censorship of foreign films, animations, and TV series is too strict, only the subtitle group can let everyone see good foreign works."