Discussion: Licensing Manga in English (Pt. 1)

Hello all my wonderful followers ;)

I hope the weather isn't getting you down. Where I am it still feels like fall, but it's just as likely to be warm and sunny as it is to be cold and raining. I think there's so much rain because it's just not cold enough to snow here, but mother nature sure is trying her hardest to make it happen.
Anyway, as the title indicates, this is not a review but a discussion. On a manga-related issue! Hooray!!!
Just an explanation of how this is going to work:
The discussion will happen in 2 separate posts, published one week apart. This is so readers have time to acquaint themselves with the issue and join in the discussion as knowledgeable participants.
Part 1: The Facts
For the first part, I will present the facts of the issue as I see it. I will try my best to be impartial, but please understand that I'm only human. Please comment on the information I've presented. If any of it seems biased, or there are facts that you think I haven't included that are relevant to the topic, I will include another section on my post with these corrections/additions.
Part 2: The Verdict 
The second post will be my analysis of the facts and my final opinion on the issue. I will try to present a sound argument using mature logic, so please feel free to point out any weaknesses in my arguments. In the comments, let your own opinions loose, and don't be shy about disagreeing with me. I won't reply to every comment, but I may post my own comment to keep the discussion going.
A discussion requires participation, so I strongly encourage everyone to leave a comment. It can be as short as a few words, but this won't work unless someone than me has something to say!

Well, let's get started :)