wombat_socho

The "snot" at ANN has worked for companies in the industry for 10 years. He's been employed by and worked with Central Park Media, imaginasianTV (a role in which he worked with Geneon extensively; I was along with him and other ANN staff when we chatted with said staff about their future plans mere weeks before the shit hit the fan there), and many other companies. He's also been waiting for his Yawara DVDs like you have (he told me so personally); he's also very close to Jonathan Klein and has spoken extensively with Monica, Greg, and pretty much everyone else I've ever met in the industry.

In short, he's not the "snot" you make him out to be - he's got over ten years of experience in the industry itself and he knows exactly just how much damage this issue has caused.

He's not saying that fansubbers should be sued outright - he's arguing that studios in both Japan and America need to change an outdated business model that is easy for the largest demographic of anime fans to utilize. Once the alternative is embraced by the majority of the market, it's easier for studios to go after the small number of jerks that continue to steal content.

Justin Sevakis didn't write this editorial to cause harm to the industry; he did it because he knows the industry and - like all the people you mentioned - has depended on that industry for over a decade to keep him employed.