Can i translate a novel without getting permission to the author?

Hence

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So I've found this interesting 'novel'... But unfortunately, it's from a Chinese site. I tried to search for the translated version. fortunately, it has. But only mtl and terrible.
I want to fix the problem such as grammatical errors, but... Am I allowed to? -without contacting the author of the book?
 

AliceShiki

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So I've found this interesting 'novel'... But unfortunately, it's from a Chinese site. I tried to search for the translated version. fortunately, it has. But only mtl and terrible.
I want to fix the problem such as grammatical errors, but... Am I allowed to? -without contacting the author of the book?
This isn't a site to host translations. It's a site to host original novels.

If you found a translation on the home page, please report it so that it can be hidden from the main site (it can still be found through direct links in that situation, just not through the homepage or through searching).

As for being allowed to translate a novel and posting it online without author permission... Legally speaking, you are allowed to translate it, but you are not allowed to distribute your translation. So posting it online would be illegal.

If you mean editing someone else's translations of the novel and posting your edited version of their translations, then no, you cannot. Contact the translator and apply to be their editor. You can't reuse and modify their translation on your whims.
 

Hence

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This isn't a site to host translations. It's a site to host original novels.

If you found a translation on the home page, please report it so that it can be hidden from the main site (it can still be found through direct links in that situation, just not through the homepage or through searching).

As for being allowed to translate a novel and posting it online without author permission... Legally speaking, you are allowed to translate it, but you are not allowed to distribute your translation. So posting it online would be illegal.

If you mean editing someone else's translations of the novel and posting your edited version of their translations, then no, you cannot. Contact the translator and apply to be their editor. You can't reuse and modify their translation on your whims.
Thanks, mate... But, I have a question tho.

Do you need to spend some cash to become their 'editor'....?


If so, how can the 'editor' get some money??

Is it posting on their site? Patreon or whatever??

Since I have this question anyways..... Is it profitable?

You know I'm writing my novel, but..... It's kinda hard.
Since it was my first time
 

whitesculptor

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I believe fan-translating non-licenced works is legally fine. Making money from selling that is not fine. However, granting access via patreon for more fan-translated chapters, aka focusing the market on the translation work and not the novel itself, is as close as you get to passing it legally. To make it 100% legal, you'd have to use patreon solely as a support me so I can continue translating type of patreon.
Thus, in that note, if you translate anything, it'll be best if it's good and has a lot of people seeking it.
Novel updates has a lot of translated works by said fans. A lot of them don't earn anything from it, and others do.
Don't forget to mention who the work belongs to.
One of my favourite translators works with dungeon defence, shalvation translations, visit her site and patreon, you'll surely learn the way.

Good luck~☆
 

Yairy

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I would still ask the author. Even if it's promoting their work, it's still taking it into your hands and translating it. I would feel violated if someone took my stories and translated them without my knowledge.

It just isn't right...
 

Hence

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Thanks, mate... But, I have a question tho.

Do you need to spend some cash to become their 'editor'....?


If so, how can the 'editor' get some money??

Is it posting on their site? Patreon or whatever??

Since I have this question anyways..... Is it profitable?

You know I'm writing my novel, but..... It's kinda hard.
Since it was my first time

I believe fan-translating non-licenced works is legally fine. Making money from selling that is not fine. However, granting access via patreon for more fan-translated chapters, aka focusing the market on the translation work and not the novel itself, is as close as you get to passing it legally. To make it 100% legal, you'd have to use patreon solely as a support me so I can continue translating type of patreon.
Thus, in that note, if you translate anything, it'll be best if it's good and has a lot of people seeking it.
Novel updates has a lot of translated works by said fans. A lot of them don't earn anything from it, and others do.
Don't forget to mention who the work belongs to.
One of my favourite translators works with dungeon defence, shalvation translations, visit her site and patreon, you'll surely learn the way.

Good luck~☆
Lolol, shalvation- "she"... Wtf??

I thought she was a guy....!!??
 

Hence

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honestly, instead of asking us if you could translate and publish someone else's work without permission how about you just actually ask them and if they say no, you don't do it.
Like how??
Cant even use Gmail to message the author.
Cuz from what i know, google services are banned a long time ago - china
 

RiddleBuns

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Like how??
Cant even use Gmail to message the author.
Cuz from what i know, google services are banned a long time ago - china
I dunno considering you are reading their work already I'm sure the website that has the original story has a function to send messages to the author or you could even just comment in one of their newest chapter to see if they respond.

And excuse my rudeness but honestly defaulting to not asking for permission to begin with is incredibly rude of you and makes you look like an asshole.
 

Hence

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I dunno considering you are reading their work already I'm sure the website that has the original story has a function to send messages to the author or you could even just comment in one of their newest chapter to see if they respond.

And excuse my rudeness but honestly defaulting to not asking for permission to begin with is incredibly rude of you and makes you look like an asshole.
lolol
 

AliceShiki

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Do you need to spend some cash to become their 'editor'....?
No. Though I dunno why you're putting it in quotations.
If so, how can the 'editor' get some money??
Is it posting on their site? Patreon or whatever??
Since I have this question anyways..... Is it profitable?
Ask the translator. Some people do it for free, some are paid. It varies from case by case.
I believe fan-translating non-licenced works is legally fine. Making money from selling that is not fine. However, granting access via patreon for more fan-translated chapters, aka focusing the market on the translation work and not the novel itself, is as close as you get to passing it legally. To make it 100% legal, you'd have to use patreon solely as a support me so I can continue translating type of patreon.
Thus, in that note, if you translate anything, it'll be best if it's good and has a lot of people seeking it.
Novel updates has a lot of translated works by said fans. A lot of them don't earn anything from it, and others do.
Don't forget to mention who the work belongs to.
One of my favourite translators works with dungeon defence, shalvation translations, visit her site and patreon, you'll surely learn the way.

Good luck~☆
Fantranslating is legally fine. Your translation is even copyrighted, in fact.

Posting unauthorized fantranslation online is illegal. You're breaching the author's copyright over the original IP.

Yes, this does mean almost all novels listed on NU are being illegally hosted online. And basically every single translator is aware of that.

And for the record, this is even worse with manga fantranslation. The only copyright you're breaching with novel fantranslation, is that you are sharing a derivative work of the original novel without a proper license for it. With mangas you're actually reusing the copyrighted images on top of making a derivative work involving the original text, which is much worse... And again, basically every manga translator is aware of that.

As far as novels go, your translation is yours and nobody can do anything with it without your explicit authorization... But sharing it online is absolutely illegal. No grey area there. It's plain illegal.
 

BluePheasant

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I would still ask the author. Even if it's promoting their work, it's still taking it into your hands and translating it. I would feel violated if someone took my stories and translated them without my knowledge.

It just isn't right...
What if the author is dead?
I have a fav author in my country who died few years ago. I wanted to translate his works someday. What should be done in that case?
 
D

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You must ask the author's permission.

If its a chinese author on a chinese site (is the site from mainland? Chinese could also be chinese diaspora or chinese in other countries using a site written in chinese characters. So they might have access to other point of contact. Quite a lot of mainland chinese also use vpn too.) For others out there, I see the frustration, but just bc of a certain perception does not mean its alright to copy other's work bc they belong in a certain group. Others of a group might but the person you want to lift it off of may not.

Regardless who or what author is, ask the author's permission. If it leaves a bad taste in your mouth when someone translates your work into another language without permission and don't credit you, don't do it to others.
 
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