You can hate Comikey all you want tbh, but the license isn't with them but with Square instead for their Manga Up global app since a while ago, but because Comikey help Square with the translations they are allowed to publish the chapters usually way later than Manga Up and never be up to date, like with alot of other series here that are under Comikey, so is redirected hate
The thing that many companies don’t understand about piracy: it actually creates sales that wouldn’t be there without said piracy. Granted, it only happens when the piracy (scanlation, fansubs) are of good quality - but this is something that is collectively managed by the community via comments and discussions, albeit very harsh words being used in those.
Manga and anime have become more available with time to the western audience. I remember back in 2005 the pirated market was thriving and it was really the golden age because of the quality of the content (fansubs back then were just so good, but maybe the nostalgia is also talking, lol). With various companies like comickey and crunchyroll - to just name those 2 - it became more available to a wider audience. The problem with those? The release schedule and quality of subs which any hardcore fan will tell you: it’s garbage.
Who buys the source stuff in the end? In most cases: hardcore fans. There are many series that just don’t have any official translation, but I’ve bought the source material directly from Japan (Gurren Lagan manga, for example).
So, the “official” way boosts sales by licensing, piracy boosts sales by contributing in the domestic country (by buying via dropshipping and stuff). which one is better? Well…. Music artists don’t earn that much on Spotify and the streaming platforms. Most of their income is generated by concerts and buying their merch/CDs.
i find it laughable how the world treats piracy. You get a much bigger audience than you would’ve gotten otherwise and by doing this you will also get more fans, because the fans that want to support you by buying your stuff will not change. But by having a bigger audience you may get even more people wanting to support you.