Most of the scan users I've talked to seem to be in agreement about a best case for this.

From our view, going after scanalators of series licensed in country is not only acceptable but justified. (But hey, we're old school. Used to be groups would quit once something was licensed but now it's not rare to see groups "scanalating" by just running the licensed book through a scanner, sticking the group logo on it and yelling "Stick it to the man".)

Unlicensed series? That's where we hope they continue to treat with benign neglect. More than a few of them get scanned because, even though they are popular in their origin countries, the publishers have stated that they will never be brought to the US. (Team Medical Dragon and Glass Mask are two examples. One is to mature for the tween market that they push Stateside and the other is not as...pretty as newer series though it has a rabid following among those who have read it.)

Not to mention all those niche issues that just would not sell in amounts worth all the hassle of negotiations, shipping, proofing, drinking (Yes, drinking. If you've dealt with these guys you know what I'm talking about.) and then getting a dwindling store presence to carry a slow seller.

Now if we want to talk Very Best Case (fantasy scenario), they'd quit all their bloody territorial squabbling and ego stroking and just start selling them digitally like text publishers are (slowly) starting to accept. Add in physical copies of omnibus editions with 3 or 4 issues in each one and they would have a good presence in both worlds. (Blast it, if I have to buy one more copy of the Fruits Basket Omni because it gets stolen again, heads will roll! Roll, I say!) But like I said, that is a fantasy currently. The only group more hidebound and resistant to change than english publishers would be eastern ones.

Side Note: My mother (mid-60's, nurse, and living in rural Oklahoma) has threatened violence if she can't get regular updates on Umi no Misaki and Hajime no Ippo. This may actually force her to learn IRC. My mother, the anarchist.