I've just learnt of a Manga series that was created in the 2000s that is in the public domain. Initially I was very sceptical, as covered before, Japan is a nation with copyright automatically given from creation and follows the life plus model, but they moved to that system in phases during the 20th century, so there are some exceptions and loopholes from when new laws were passed. Still, though, a serialised Manga published by Kodansha in the 2000s did not seem like one of those examples.
The Manga is called ブラックジャックによろしくSay Hello to Black Jack. Created by Shūhō Satō (whose still alive) and ran from 2002-5. The series is a drama focussed on the Japanese healthcare system and its darker aspects, overworked interns, pressure to perform at all costs, health insurance etc. It seemed interesting to me, but I wasn't seeing how it qualified as public domain, it had after all been licensed for a television series and theatrical production. Well it seems this stems from a dispute with the publisher and the success of the property.
Manga author Shuho Sato reported via his Twitter on Thursday that he had cancelled his publishing contract for his Say Hello to Black Jack medical manga with Kodansha, and that he had received a certificate from them confirming that the two parties no longer had a contract.
Sato expressed his dissatisfaction with Kodansha, saying that the publisher were "making light of him." He explained that the certificate was stamped with the seal of the editor-in-chief of Morning, the magazine that Say Hello to Black Jack was serialized in, rather than the Kodansha company seal; the certificate is technically for an agreement between Kodansha and Sato's own company. In a follow-up post, he stated that as a result of the contract being cancelled, the book is immediately considered as out of print, and that readers who find any unreturned copies of the title in bookstores should report them as "illegal publications."
From ANN
And later Shūhō Satō disclosed that the series had made him over 100 million yen and that he was allowing secondary usage of his work in any form, including commercial activities and waiving his right to royalty payments.
Sato now allows people to use the original Say Hello to Black Jack work to create editions in foreign languages, films, applications, anime, and more without any royalty payments.
From ANN
So, from what I can gather, the author has effectively given his work to the public domain by publicly consenting to its usage in all manner of forms and waived his rights to control and compensation. As far as public domain entries go this is a rare way of adding to it, but it's not without precedent, the 96-year-old Tom Lehrer placed his entire music library into the public domain and Bill Willingham has done something similar with his Fables creations. That case also followed an acrimonious dispute with the publishing company Warner Brothers.
So, how good is Black Jack? Well, I've only started reading it so can't give a full review, but I like what I've read so far, a word of warning for the curious, since the setting is about hospitals and Doctors the artwork includes very graphic depictions of injury.
I will say that I am planning to continue reading it in my spare time and may well have a review of it in the future.
Until then.
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