Exactly.
The Music Industry spends a significant amount of their money on advertising and such. They even let their most most recent and popular songs play over the radio. (Sometimes they even bribe radio stations to get MORE play time).
Simply because the increase in exposure pays dividends. This isnt something up for debate, its established and is one of the reasons the big publishing houses justify their existence.
Especially in the manga industry, I dont know of anyone who seriously browses the bookshelves. EVERY manga I've cared to pick up in the last decade has become of interest reading scanlations on the internet.
For example NOBODY heard of recent titles like bleach and naruto before they were scanlated online and became fan favorites. The publishers that brought them over were filling a market demand that had already grown.
The market in asia for these products is flat because it costs the equivalent of a months salary for the average person over there, and theres always someone at the local flea market peddling a bootleg at a more reasonable price. It has nothign to do with internet piracy, or it would be worldwide, wouldn't it?
The Music Industry spends a significant amount of their money on advertising and such. They even let their most most recent and popular songs play over the radio. (Sometimes they even bribe radio stations to get MORE play time).
Simply because the increase in exposure pays dividends. This isnt something up for debate, its established and is one of the reasons the big publishing houses justify their existence.
Especially in the manga industry, I dont know of anyone who seriously browses the bookshelves. EVERY manga I've cared to pick up in the last decade has become of interest reading scanlations on the internet.
For example NOBODY heard of recent titles like bleach and naruto before they were scanlated online and became fan favorites. The publishers that brought them over were filling a market demand that had already grown.
The market in asia for these products is flat because it costs the equivalent of a months salary for the average person over there, and theres always someone at the local flea market peddling a bootleg at a more reasonable price. It has nothign to do with internet piracy, or it would be worldwide, wouldn't it?