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Recently, an anonymous person began to spread false information and make untrue accusations on social media about an alleged copyright infringement by SSPG Editora in relation to the publication and distribution of issues of the PERRY RHODAN series - rights guaranteed in a contract with Heinrich Bauer Verlag KG (HBV, current owner of former VPM) through the editorial team responsible for the series in Germany. According to these false accusations, SSPG would be selling issues of the PERRY RHODAN series unofficially, without reporting this to HBV, through a group of fans gathered on social networks.
SSPG immediately declares that it does not endorse, divulge, sponsor or agree with any unofficial distribution of issues from the PERRY RHODAN universe, has never distributed volumes of the series unofficially, and can state that it has always carried out its publishing project of the series in Brazil respecting the terms of its contract with HBV/VPM and the rights of the German publisher, always maintaining great appreciation for the name and legacy of the series. This is even reflected, in a completely natural way, in the sales reports that are periodically made to HBV, in which absolutely all volumes sold by SSPG are taken into account, without any type of suppression or concealment of sales. SSPG has also never received any amount resulting from sale or distribution, by any means or group of fans, of volumes other than the official ones produced by SSPG's own team and - reiterating - which are always reported entirely to HBV.
It is first necessary to clarify what is true in this story: in fact, this group of fans exists and was formed during the period in which SSPG interrupted its printed publication due to low sales (between 2007 and 2014), but this group emerged without any initiative whatsoever from SSPG and even against the publisher's will. From what was discovered at that time, the group's intention was to publish editions of numbers 537 to 649 of the series, which were not available then in Brazil (the SSPG edition began in year 2001 with issue 650). At that time, SSPG was even contacted by members of this group who asked the publisher to provide its subscriber list to them in order to facilitate teh group's expansion. SSPG, naturally, denied this request peremptorily, which led to an angry reaction from part of this group, with some members even beginning to fiercely criticize SSPG in discussion groups and Internet forums at the time.
Furthermore, SSPG even addressed this issue with HBV/VPM's editorial team: it was discussed by SSPG's assistant editor, César Maciel, in conversation with the German editor-in-chief during a personal visit to the PERRY RHODAN Redaktion headquarters in 2009, including a strategy for turning official this initiative in case it kept aslong. In 2014, at the time it was preparing its new digital edition, SSPG sent to the German PERRY RHODAN Redaktion, at their request, detailed information about this group, including addresses of their websites and contacts. SSPG made this situation clear at the time and that it had no connection with this initiative. We have stored here e-mail messages exchanged with teh German PERRY RHODAN Redaktion's assistant editor at the time that prove this dialogue with VPM about this group. Thus, what we now see in this false accusation is the resuscitation of a fact already addressed and clarified with HBV/VPM ten years ago.
In 2014, to resolve the issue of the illegal status of translations made by this group, SSPG opted not to take belligerent or judicial action against it; first, because this was not legally possible, as SSPG's contractual rights at the time only covered episodes from #650 onwards; and, secondly, because, in the publisher's opinion, this would only have inflamed tempers and probably led to more expanded and hidden action by this group of fans, in retaliation, as happens in so many scenarios on the Internet.
Therefore, in 2015, with its digital edition underway, SSPG decided to also publish an edition starting with nº 537 and contacted members of this group who were in favor of a positive dialogue with the publisher, and proposed an agreement to make official the editions that had been improperly distributed by this third-party group, in line with what had been discussed with the German editor-in-chief years before: SSPG would make a new version of these publications and sell them officially, which was done with a new contract with HBV/VPM, which later authorized this new publishing front. However, to ensure that the translations were faithful to the original material provided by HBV/VPM, SSPG requested that a new translation would be made by the group. In return, as part of the payment for the service of producing new, official translations for SSPG, made entirely based on the original texts then provided by VPM, the group requested that SSPG offer price discounts to its members in order to encourage them to start buying official volumes, which was done in the form of issuing partial discount coupons (mentioned in the slanderous posts against SSPG made now).
In exchange for the supply of discount coupons, the third-party group of fans would commit not to offer new releases of unauthorized volumes on the website they maintained, would stop distributing old unofficial translations and would only maintain the project of translating articles about the series on their website, like so many other that exist on the Internet of this kind.
In SSPG's assessment, this approach was successful, as it turned into official (in a new version) editions that were in a clandestine situation and removed from circulation the old translations of episodes nº 537-649 made by this third-party group. Furthermore, all sales of this new official edition were and are still fully reported to VPM, as is customary with all other SSPG issues. With the quality of the translations guaranteed by the meticulous revisions carried out by the SSPG team, this allowed other volumes outside this range to also be translated at a lower cost by some members of the group, helping to keep the edition of the book financially balanced. SSPG - but always distributed officially and exclusively by SSPG, in the same way as the volumes of other translators.
Nowadays, SSPG was not aware of the posts made and published in this social media group, as it is a private group, to which the publisher does not have access. In fact, the mention of coupons from SSPG, although they were issued as a partial counterpart for the initial and subsequent translation services, is inappropriate as it serves to divulge a possible new offer of unofficial volumes by the third-party group of fans. It is worth noting that the posts mention series such as PERRY RHODAN NEO (which is parallel to the main PERRY RHODAN series), "planetary novels" and miniseries, whose publication rights SSPG does NOT own and does not publish. Even so, given the evidence of production of more unofficial volumes of the series, SSPG will request the immediate suspension of this offer to the third-party group of fans, under penalty of action for violation of SSPG's rights, as well as the end of mention of the publisher in posts from this group, with the reestablishment of the conditions that were agreed ten years ago.
In addition to the issue of illegality, which SSPG naturally does not promote, due to the conviction and personal character of its owners, we see no sense in the publisher promoting any action that could put the contract with HBV/VPM at risk, something that SSPG undertakes all efforts to maintain. The SSPG edition reaches a small group of readers in Brazil, unfortunately, despite the publisher's publicity efforts, and one of the factors that may motivate this small number is the piracy of SSPG volumes by third parties, perhaps carried out in closed groups in social networks, from which SSPG is unable to obtain news and to which it does not have access to attest to this practice. Therefore, reports of distribution (and even production) of unofficial volumes are welcome - as SSPG itself highlights in each volume of its digital edition, with a true manifesto on page 3 of all of its issues. Even the complaint made now by this anonymous person partially fits in this aspect. However, it goes way beyond the limits of truth by falsely accusing SSPG of copyrght infringement due to an initiative by a third-party group that improperly uses the publisher's name to promote an unofficial edition.
Maintaining the official edition in Brazil and the contract with the German publisher is the objective of all the arduous efforts undertaken by SSPG for more than 20 years of dedication to the series in Brazil. In this, it relies also on the support of its fans in their acquisitions of the volumes and correct divulgation of the edition, and it's surprising that, now, an anonymous person emerges launching accusations against the publisher that reach the level of slander and only hinder these efforts. Although, we reiterate, the denunciation of illegal distribution of the publisher's volumes (which is not even the case here, as everything indicates that it is a new production by a third-party group) is always requested and encouraged by SSPG, involving the name of the publisher in a scheme that is authored by third parties and takes advantage of an agreement made with the original purpose of making official an initiative that was unofficial - and already resolved many years ago - brings a regrettable aspect to this case.
It draws attention the fact that all this was done anonymously, by an unknown person, without disclosing who the author was. Furthermore, the accusation seeks to cover itself with a journalistic aspect - however, one of the basic pillars of true journalism was not even fulfilled here: to consult all sides involved before making a publication. After all, SSPG never received any contact from anyone to report and seek to clarify this issue that has now arisen. Certainly, this basic step, instead of an anonymous attack, would have saved a lot of unpleasantness, without leading to a slander campaign based on a totally distorted vision of an action promoted by the publisher years ago to legalize an initiative that was clandestine.
SSPG regrets the negative aspect of this case, although it highlights some aspects that need to be corrected with the third-party group. The publisher once again vigorously refutes the accusations of breach of contract, reiterates its commitment to an honorable and hard-working edition of the series in Brazil, including actions to curb piracy, and relies mainly on its legacy of more than 20 years working with the series in Brazil, always with a balanced, long-standing and mutually respectful relationship with the German publisher, which includes personal contacts on several occasions at the headquarters of the German editorial office in Rastatt. SSPG is not new to this field, it has a name, a track record and a legacy of more than 800 PERRY RHODAN issues already produced, and remains determined not to let its name be involved in slander with obscure, anonymous and improper purposes, and intends to properly clarify the case, based on the facts and aspects presented here, with the German publisher so that it can focus on what is important: the official and regular maintenance of the series in Brazil.
Belo Horizonte, May 2024.
SSPG Editora.
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