Bootlegs at cons?

emopunk1 · Post by **emopunk1** » Tue Feb 22, 2005 2:20 pm

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

I was at AX 04 and I don't remember seeing any bootlegs there. I even talked to a few legit sellers there and they told me that the staff made sure no bootlegs were being sold there.

narcted · Post by **narcted** » Tue Feb 22, 2005 6:57 pm

emopunk1 wrote:
However at AX2004, at least 5 booths were sued for selling bootlegs. One booth I was happy to see sued. Twisted Evil
I was at AX 04 and I don't remember seeing any bootlegs there. I even talked to a few legit sellers there and they told me that the staff made sure no bootlegs were being sold there.

AX04 was the first time I can really remember a significant crackdown of bootleg stuff, especially the CDs. Before that I remember the Son May and EverAnime CDs being all over. I know AX03 some of my friends bought about 20 CDs that I'm sure were bootlegs.

I really feel bootleg enforcement is a fairly recent procedure now. Back before there were legitimate domestic releases I think the cons tolerated the selling of bootlegs. First time I can recall seeing a con having a stated policy against bootleg was Katsucon 7.

GMM2005 · Post by **GMM2005** » Tue Feb 22, 2005 7:07 pm

Anime is not so big here (little kids like Pokemon and Yugioh, but thats mostly it) so the only convention i've been to is so little, and the people are cheap, that everyone sells bootlegs. Oh well, since everyone does it, i wont whine, plus its a good/cheap way to get things around here without having to pay $30 per Dvd on Suncoast.

Rurounikeitaro · Post by **Rurounikeitaro** » Tue Feb 22, 2005 7:14 pm

If we all know it's bootleg, then why report it? It's not like were stupid enough to pick it up anyway. Sometimes I want some of that stuff and it's hard to find anywhere else at that cheap or in that format so just leave um alone!

Castor Troy · Post by **Castor Troy** » Tue Feb 22, 2005 7:52 pm

I saw a bootleg or 2 at Ushicon, hidden under all the legit dvds

jasper-isis · Post by **jasper-isis** » Tue Feb 22, 2005 8:05 pm

Selling bootlegs online is one thing, but selling them at AX, one of the most "commercial" cons in the country, right under the big companies' noses? That's really asking for it.

Anyway, it seems that HK is starting to crack down on bootlegs at the source. At the end of last year, they shut down a factory used by one of the largest bootleg companies in HK, and just last month they raided the offices of another company. Though I highly doubt that mass-produced pirated DVDs will disappear anytime soon, this seems like a step in the right direction.

And for now, you get amusing pictures like this one:

Spike_ Spiegel · Post by **Spike_ Spiegel** » Tue Feb 22, 2005 8:06 pm

Ya, it happens. All I got to say is when you think the merchandise is fake, question the seller like theres no tommorow. Just do your research.

bum · Post by **bum** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 3:54 am

I love it when bootlegs have some sort of copyright warning, its just so amusingly ironic and you've gota wonder about the people who write them up.

Evangelion Unit 01 · Post by **Evangelion Unit 01** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 8:06 pm

Jasper-Isis wrote:Selling bootlegs online is one thing, but selling them at AX, one of the most "commercial" cons in the country, right under the big companies' noses? That's really asking for it.

Anyway, it seems that HK is starting to crack down on bootlegs at the source. At the end of last year, they shut down a factory used by one of the largest bootleg companies in HK, and just last month they raided the offices of another company. Though I highly doubt that mass-produced pirated DVDs will disappear anytime soon, this seems like a step in the right direction.

And for now, you get amusing pictures like this one:

I am curious to knwo where you got that pic, or the news on this stuff. It would be intreasting to read.

emopunk1 · Post by **emopunk1** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 11:20 pm

I found the picture and article to go with it here:

http://members.tripod.com/~SAUCEboss/bootleg.html