Bootlegs at cons?

Evangelion Unit 01 · Post by **Evangelion Unit 01** » Sun Feb 20, 2005 4:40 pm

Okay, most of us can agree that bootlegs are evil, like soccer moms. But why is it then that some anime conventions have them. Isn't their goal the promotion of Japanese animation? If they are selling boots and most people buy those then soon the anime cons won't have anything to promote. So then why is it that anime cons have boots and other unlicenced merchandiece?

Org Profile · Post by **Otohiko** » Sun Feb 20, 2005 4:44 pm

Because people want to make money first and foremost. It's simple as that.

I've seen con booths like that myself, don't worry.

Unpronounceable_Symbol · Post by **Unpronounceable_Symbol** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 1:55 pm

Wasn't it AX from a couple years ago that busted a couple tables with boots at them, and now there are pending lawsuits and everything? The conventions don't always have time to go through all of the material in their dealers' rooms, so sometimes stuff will slip by. You can help by narcing on any bootleg dealers you see at conventions ^^

Matticans · Post by **Matticans** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 4:14 pm

At all the cons I have gone too you can sometimes find those evil bootleg selling bastards

, but they aren't supposed to be. They are not supposed to sell anything illegal like that. Just like at cons they are not supposed to sell mod-chips for any video game system.

The only thing we can do is to not buy from them. But if you see a dealer selling a bunch of bootlegs, I would quickly tell a con supervisor.

bum · Post by **bum** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 5:35 pm

Bootlegs are great. Just disregard any sence of morality.

Castor Troy · Post by **Castor Troy** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 9:54 pm

Every con I've been to past Akon 2003, I have seen little to no bootlegs at most booths.

However at AX2004, at least 5 booths were sued for selling bootlegs. One booth I was happy to see sued.

dokool · Post by **dokool** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 10:01 pm

I remember at Otakon 2003 how a couple booths got shut down for bootleg wallscrolls. Apparently you get a warning to remove your bootleg merchandise, and then if you don't you get THE BOOT.

Seriously, though. Report bootleg merch to a con staffer. The sooner they know the better.

Evangelion Unit 01 · Post by **Evangelion Unit 01** » Tue Feb 22, 2005 2:06 am

Okay, so I guess since they get in that that probably means they aither sneak it in, or that they just aren't check until the actual con itself is in process. Now I have one other question then, how do you go reporting about bootlegger's websites. I don't know if I want to get involved or not, but for those that do, maybe you can tell them.

dokool · Post by **dokool** » Tue Feb 22, 2005 2:15 am

Evangelion Unit 01 wrote:Now I have one other question then, how do you go reporting about bootlegger's websites. I don't know if I want to get involved or not, but for those that do, maybe you can tell them.

You can try contacting the anime companies themselves, but I'd imagine that they're already aware of most bootlegging websites and are doing their best to shut them down effectively.

Garylisk · Post by **Garylisk** » Tue Feb 22, 2005 1:00 pm

Archon always has bootlegs-a-plenty, and each year, I try to get the con people and security to deal with it, but they don't seem to care. Like, one of the big bootleg dealers there also has legit DVDs, plus a ton and a half of other merchandise - he's, like, the biggest anime type dealer at Archon. It's just that he has some bootlegs, and I bitched about it the year before last, and he said he wouldn't take them off shelves because they were selling, and nobody had told him he couldn't sell them when he bought his space at the con.

But ya know, I don't think he had bootlegs this previous year.. maybe he stopped because of me (And various other actual fans) bitching...

That would be cool.