For Your Information: フラゲ！ "Flying Get"
Since the GazettE is releasing their new album, NINTH, today (6.13), I thought it was appropriate to share this little phenomenon that happens in Japan.
I hope you enjoy!
It's called フラゲ (furage), shortened from フライングゲット (furaingu getto), which is an example of 和製英語 (wasei eigo), a psuedo-English word (or phrase) coined in Japan, and transliterates to "flying get" in English. For the purposes of this post, I will use "flying sale" from here on. In short, it refers to obtaining items such as books, CDs, DVDs, etc. before the official sale date. The shortened form is also used as a verb, in the sense of "I got this game on the day before official release!" (JPN: このゲームはフラゲした！)
Important: The information to follow is a rough translation of the Wikipedia page. Link is included in source information at the bottom.
Other terms used to express this same phenomenon include: 早売り(hayauri), 早バレ(hayabare), both of which abbreviate the meanings of "buying quickly" and "exposing the contents" together.
From the perspective of the seller (rather than above, which is from the perspective of the buyer), this is called フライング発売(furaingu hatsubai), "flying sale," etc.
In general, the goods are leaked to the retail store or wholesaler early and are then sold. As background, when the schedule for release of a magazine or something similar is tight, some printed copies are made for remote areas which require more time for transport from the manufacturer. For example, the Weekly Shonen Jump (which is released officially every Monday), is sometimes on sale at stores two days early, on Saturday. At the same time, for goods that require time and effort to produce (such as CDs, game software, etc.), it is thought that items produced and delivered at an early date will be available for purchase.
Usually the arrival date for the goods is set to three days before the day before the official release (ie. four days before the official release date), but when such deeds are reported to the maker or distributor some penalties are imposed, such as the transaction contract with the manufacturer is cancelled, or the handling amount of the product is reduced. Game companies such as Square Enix, Capcom, Konami Digital Entertainment, etc. do such things. Also, although it is rare, it has happened where goods have already been sold out on the day of the release date, as all the copies have been sold prior due to the flying sales. In these cases, it is possible that customers who could not purchase the item file complaints with the companies concerned.
There are also manufacturer-authorised flying sales. For example, when you purchase online from a place directly operated by the manufacturer, it sometimes happens that the product will arrive before the release date. This seems to imply benefits for the users who purchase directly from the manufacturers rather than retailers, especially for adult game mail-order sales. For the game series, "I Am An Air Traffic Controller," at the time of a new release, there is a specific online shop where users who have registered for previous releases, can obtain new software ahead of the release date. In addition to magazine collaborations and so on, there are sometimes prizes that are also delivered ahead of the release date.
As for CDs, ever since the heyday of records, the copies are delivered to retail stores one day before the release date, so they can be lined up on the shelves in stores nationwide. this is called "Storefront Day," instead of "Release Day." In the record industry, it is customary to sell goods on "shop front days." Therefore, strictly speaking, it's not accurate to call this a "flying sale" when purchasing such products the day before the release date.
While it is accepted for sales to begin one day early, there are some distributors who will refuse the transaction earlier than that. Broccoli Co. Ltd.1 and the like are an example.
Consumers are not accused of illegality when obtaining products through flying sales.
However, products and their contents which are obtained earlier than the official release date often have their copyright infringed upon, and are subject to illegal copying or uploading. Similarly, it is possible to scan magazine articles and publish them to countless websites. In May 2007, a buyer was arrested for violating the copyright law, for uploading contents of a manga magazine to Winny2 before the official release date. Likewise, on June 14, 2010, an uploader was arrested for having acquired a manga magazine before the release date and uploading it to YouTube. However, these cases are simply for the copying and distributing of work without permission of the copyright owner, therefore infringing the copyright and violating the law. The fact that it was before the official release date has no relation with the illegality of these acts. Had they been done after the official release date, they would be equally illegal.
Also, in the case of unfinished goods, or products that require modifications, such as "Magical Girl Ai" game software, and the Ongaku Gatas CD "Narihajimeta Koi no Bell" are for some reason distributed and released at stores, they are sometimes sold. Also in these cases, since the consumers are obtaining products before the release date, they become a flying sale.
In the United States there are many cases where, depending on the location, even if the item has been sent it won't be on time for the release date, so often the storefront days are a few weeks earlier than the release date in order to match the release date nationwide. Depending on the store, it is possible that they will sell the item immediately after receiving it, so there are many cases where flying sales happen well ahead of the release date.
***
Sources:
Definition of フラゲ furage
Wikipedia article on フラゲ furage
Translator's Notes:
1A game software company.
2A P2P-based file sharing software.
I hope you enjoy!
It's called フラゲ (furage), shortened from フライングゲット (furaingu getto), which is an example of 和製英語 (wasei eigo), a psuedo-English word (or phrase) coined in Japan, and transliterates to "flying get" in English. For the purposes of this post, I will use "flying sale" from here on. In short, it refers to obtaining items such as books, CDs, DVDs, etc. before the official sale date. The shortened form is also used as a verb, in the sense of "I got this game on the day before official release!" (JPN: このゲームはフラゲした！)
Important: The information to follow is a rough translation of the Wikipedia page. Link is included in source information at the bottom.
Other terms used to express this same phenomenon include: 早売り(hayauri), 早バレ(hayabare), both of which abbreviate the meanings of "buying quickly" and "exposing the contents" together.
From the perspective of the seller (rather than above, which is from the perspective of the buyer), this is called フライング発売(furaingu hatsubai), "flying sale," etc.
In general, the goods are leaked to the retail store or wholesaler early and are then sold. As background, when the schedule for release of a magazine or something similar is tight, some printed copies are made for remote areas which require more time for transport from the manufacturer. For example, the Weekly Shonen Jump (which is released officially every Monday), is sometimes on sale at stores two days early, on Saturday. At the same time, for goods that require time and effort to produce (such as CDs, game software, etc.), it is thought that items produced and delivered at an early date will be available for purchase.
Usually the arrival date for the goods is set to three days before the day before the official release (ie. four days before the official release date), but when such deeds are reported to the maker or distributor some penalties are imposed, such as the transaction contract with the manufacturer is cancelled, or the handling amount of the product is reduced. Game companies such as Square Enix, Capcom, Konami Digital Entertainment, etc. do such things. Also, although it is rare, it has happened where goods have already been sold out on the day of the release date, as all the copies have been sold prior due to the flying sales. In these cases, it is possible that customers who could not purchase the item file complaints with the companies concerned.
There are also manufacturer-authorised flying sales. For example, when you purchase online from a place directly operated by the manufacturer, it sometimes happens that the product will arrive before the release date. This seems to imply benefits for the users who purchase directly from the manufacturers rather than retailers, especially for adult game mail-order sales. For the game series, "I Am An Air Traffic Controller," at the time of a new release, there is a specific online shop where users who have registered for previous releases, can obtain new software ahead of the release date. In addition to magazine collaborations and so on, there are sometimes prizes that are also delivered ahead of the release date.
As for CDs, ever since the heyday of records, the copies are delivered to retail stores one day before the release date, so they can be lined up on the shelves in stores nationwide. this is called "Storefront Day," instead of "Release Day." In the record industry, it is customary to sell goods on "shop front days." Therefore, strictly speaking, it's not accurate to call this a "flying sale" when purchasing such products the day before the release date.
While it is accepted for sales to begin one day early, there are some distributors who will refuse the transaction earlier than that. Broccoli Co. Ltd.1 and the like are an example.
Consumers are not accused of illegality when obtaining products through flying sales.
However, products and their contents which are obtained earlier than the official release date often have their copyright infringed upon, and are subject to illegal copying or uploading. Similarly, it is possible to scan magazine articles and publish them to countless websites. In May 2007, a buyer was arrested for violating the copyright law, for uploading contents of a manga magazine to Winny2 before the official release date. Likewise, on June 14, 2010, an uploader was arrested for having acquired a manga magazine before the release date and uploading it to YouTube. However, these cases are simply for the copying and distributing of work without permission of the copyright owner, therefore infringing the copyright and violating the law. The fact that it was before the official release date has no relation with the illegality of these acts. Had they been done after the official release date, they would be equally illegal.
Also, in the case of unfinished goods, or products that require modifications, such as "Magical Girl Ai" game software, and the Ongaku Gatas CD "Narihajimeta Koi no Bell" are for some reason distributed and released at stores, they are sometimes sold. Also in these cases, since the consumers are obtaining products before the release date, they become a flying sale.
In the United States there are many cases where, depending on the location, even if the item has been sent it won't be on time for the release date, so often the storefront days are a few weeks earlier than the release date in order to match the release date nationwide. Depending on the store, it is possible that they will sell the item immediately after receiving it, so there are many cases where flying sales happen well ahead of the release date.
***
Sources:
Definition of フラゲ furage
Wikipedia article on フラゲ furage
Translator's Notes:
1A game software company.
2A P2P-based file sharing software.
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