Hi everyone,
At ACU, we’ve noticed a troubling trend in our inbox: a growing number of anime clubs are being forced to shut down or scale back. The culprit? A tightening grip on “screening permissions” and the discontinuation of dedicated club support programs by major streaming services and distributors.
The Problem: A Missing Bridge
For years, many of us operated under the impression that as long as we weren’t charging admission, screening a legally owned DVD or streaming an episode was “fair use” within a private club setting. However, current copyright interpretations have shifted.
Most streaming giants, most notably Crunchyroll, have officially discontinued their club programs. Without these formal “screening licenses,” even a non-profit, no-admission school meeting can technically be flagged as an unauthorized public performance.
This creates a frustrating paradox:
The Industry’s Stance: “We don’t offer club licenses; reach out to individual rights holders.”
The Reality: Small clubs often don’t have the legal bandwidth or the budget to negotiate individual contracts with international production committees.
Why This Matters
From my personal experience, anime clubs are the lifeblood of the industry’s growth. We aren’t just viewers; we are influencers and archivists.
Discovery: Clubs introduce members to niche titles they’d never find on an algorithm.
Economic Impact: Club members are the ones buying the limited edition Blu-rays, the $200 figures, and the annual streaming subscriptions for their own personal enjoyment.
Community: Clubs provide a safe space for fans to form the very “word-of-mouth” marketing that makes shows go viral.
By removing support for clubs, the industry is inadvertently cutting off its most loyal promotional engine.
Let’s Talk Strategy
We refuse to let the traditional anime club model die, but we need to adapt. We want to hear from you:
How is your club surviving? Are you pivoting to official “free-to-stream” sources (like official YouTube channels from VIZ or GundamInfo), or focusing more on social/cosplay activities?
The Legal Workaround: For school-based clubs, have you had success using the “Face-to-Face Teaching Exemption” (17 U.S.C. §110(1)) by integrating educational “lesson plans” into your screenings?
Collective Action: Is it time we petitioned for a universal “Small Club License”? Similar to how libraries use Swank or Kanopy, could there be a streamlined, affordable way for clubs to “pay to play” legally?
What are your thoughts? Let’s discuss how we can show the industry that supporting clubs isn’t a loss of revenue—it’s an investment in their future.
Please share your thoughts and Join the conversation on our Facebook Page and Facebook Group!
-Jenn Wasacz, ACU