Saw a bootleg dvd at a retail store (1 Viewer)

[AaronMan]

I was at the local DVD store and noticed an obvious bootleg of Back to the Future 2 on the shelf. This store lets you trade in your DVDs for money. I guess a bootleg slipped through, even though they should know you can't buy it separately. The interesting thing though was that it was previously viewed and priced at $19.99! They had the official box of all three films preveiously viewed priced at 24.99! I picked up the bootleg and said, "Did you guys know this is a bootleg?" They took it from me and said, "Oh, sorry, unless you want it." I said, "Its not even worth 20 cents, let alone 20 bucks!"

This is a relatively big chain of stores in this region, not a little hole in the wall. So I was quite surprised to see a bootleg there. Anyway, I thought some people on this board would enjoy that story.

 

[Malcolm R]

Many of those who deal in used DVD's seem to be pretty clueless. I pulled a couple R2 discs out of the used section of the local Coconuts one time, explaining to the clerks the difference between R1 and R2 and that for 99.9% of their customers the R2 disc would not play on their DVD player. I got the usual glazed look in response. :rolleyes

 

[Mike-McG]

I've seen that glazed look far too many times. Before I bought my last DVD player, a Best Buy salesman wanted to know why I wanted a specific model. When I explained to him that the model had a region-hack, he was 100% shocked to hear that DVD region coding even existed.

Naturally, that didn't stop him from explaining that unless I bought the warranty extension my "little region hack" was going to leave me without a DVD player in no time.

 

[Clinton C]

most rental stores got each movie seperately and they came in their own individual cases...are you sure it wasn't one of them?

 

[Dan Rudolph]

A used CD store near me has lots of bootlegs. Mainly Asian bootlegs of kids movies. There's a much better one across the street from them, but event hey have an obvious bootleg of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. And a local video game store seems to have a lot of bootleg anime. That is, unless of course anime frequently gets region free releases with Chinese subtitles.

 

[Ian_H]

Many of those who deal in used DVD's seem to be pretty clueless.

At my store I have to deal with all the clueless customers that have no idea what a pirated disc is. They get all pissed off when I tell them that I can't take it because its a bootleg and they give the blank stare. I had one woman trying to trade in obvious boots of Disney titles, and she insisted that they were legit and I had to point out to her that no where on the package did it even say DISNEY!!!


--Ian

 

[Sam Davatchi]

Weeks ago to my great surprise I saw bootleg copies of the original Star Wars Trilogy in a professional local retail store. The funny thing is that they were perfectly aware that they were bootlegs, they are a professional store. Anyway, they were the supposedly five star collection with very good quality and on 3 dual layer DVD-9s! I guess they wanted to take full advantage of the video bitrate!

 

[David Lambert]

I was in a local store that specialized in used videogames and as a "side" also does used DVDs. While Santa Clause 2 was still playing in theaters they had a bootleg copy of it sitting on the shelf. Cover art looked remarkably good, but I was definately in a position to know it was a bootleg. I pretended interest in it to get them to hand it to me so I could look it over. Disc was obviously burned and disc art wasn't nearly as good as the cover. Very bad, in fact.

I asked the guy to get the manager, and I explained to him that this was a bootleg. He apologized, saying he didn't know and blah blah blah. He said he was taking it right off the shelf. It sounded good. My wife and I bought some stuff and left.

After work I decided to return there and get something for my wife she had commented on wanting, but decided not to get yet. The bootleg was back out on the shelf, for sale. The manager just stared at me the whole time I made the purchase...he knew he was busted. We didn't talk though. I did drop dime on him, though.

No idea what the effect of that call was, though. A few months later they were broken into in the middle of the night (thieves rammed a stolen car through the storefront window and windowframe, demolishing the bars) and cleaned out EVERYTHING. Left the stolen vehicle there and loaded up anther vehicle (presumably a truck) with the goods and left. The waiter at the Chinese buffet up the way said that police commented it took less than 30 minutes; they were FAST. Naturally, the guy's out of business now.


Meanwhile, I'm in the parking lot at work the other day and I see a lady carrying an obvious bootleg DVD of Jeepers Creepers 2. :rolleyes

 

[Xenia Stathakopoulou]

Ha ha, great story David,i bet youre glad their finally busted.

 

[Michael Boyd]

Aaron - you dont by chance live in Dallas and are talking about Movie Trading Company? About two years ago the store on Preston and Belt Line had quite a few boots in the new release section. I recall seeing 5-10 copies each of the Indiana Jones movies and Back To The Future. Dont recall if they had Star Wars. This was before Blockbuster bought them out.

Over in Arlington a store called Movie Exchange (same concept as Movie Trading)was renting bootlegs of movies still in the theater last time I was over there. I recall seeing Chicago and The Guru there in a special rental only section. Guess that makes it alright. :rolleyes

 

[Tony-B]

That is, unless of course anime frequently gets region free releases with Chinese subtitles.

Definitely not in the United States!

The sad thing is that these stores are usually careless towards bootlegs, and are only in it for the money. :rolleyes

If only the average consumer knew more about bootlegs and how to spot them.

 

[Tom_Bechet]

I have never found a Bootleg in any shops in Luxembourg (don`t go to carboot sales and markets so can`t comment on those) I haven`t found any bootlegs in Britain either in any major or rental shop.

But what I was wondering: do you guys actually report those shops to the authorities??
at the end of the day it is a crime to sell them (and I believe damages the overall image of DVD) so one should theoretically report it, no??


PS I don`t wanna start a "piracy good or bad thread" just wondering about that one particular point
Thanks


BTW I would if they repeatedly placed them back on the shelf even though they knew they were bootlegs, but only for big shops. I wouldn`t bother about market stands and so

 

[Nick Graham]

The local CD Tradepost in Salina had an OBVIOUS bootleg of Monsters Inc (though there was a legit copy right beside it), I pointed it out to the manager, who I was on friendly terms with, and is not the type of guy to knowingly sell boots. After seeing the obvious inkjet produced cover, he was like "Well, maybe it just has a different cover".

He pulled out the binder that contained discs starting with 'M', and lo and behold, right next to the legit disc of Monsters Inc, in the sleeve which contained the disc meant to be matched to the obvious bootleg case, was one of those free cereal box pack-in DVDs of a Monsters Inc Sing-Along demo. He quickly let out an "Oh &%$#" and took the case off of the shelf, the disc out of the sleeve, and tossed both into the trash.

 

[David Lambert]

Not really, Tony. I didn't want them out of business. I just figured someone would contact them and warn them off.

The fact that they got robbed is, of course, completely unrelated to the matter. A similar thing happened to a Funcoland nearby to them, several months afterward. They closed for a bit, then reopened under their sister company name "Gamestop" (I think that company wants to convert all its stores to that name, so no surprise there).

Many stores are moving out of that neighborhood as a result of crimes like these. I'm sure the pawn shops that move in behind them will take care of selling bootlegs to anyone who wants them. :rolleyes


P.S. - great story, Nick!

 

[Ryan Wishton]

I would never have the nerve to sell bootlegs in my store if I had one.

It's not worth it? Why do you want to expose yourself to the public with bootlegs? Not to mention your putting a huge sign on your back that says bust me. Plus the possible huge fines and jail time if your into bootlegging big time if caught arent worth it.

Just sounds kind of stupid to me.

 

[Neil Joseph]

I wonder if someone out there only wanted the BTTF#1 and simply sold off the BTTF#2 then printed their own makeshift cover for the keepcase?

 

[Joshua Clinard]

I doubt that the Back to the Future was a bootleg. Universal did issue seperate releases for stores that requested it. I have seen all three of them myself at a Sci-fi expo.

 

[DustinDT]

A local store here has a bootleg of A.I. for 14.99. It has a sticker on it that says "fancy asian edition".

The funny thing is that they have the legit copy for sale right next to it for 9.99.

D

 

[Will_B]

Not really, Tony. I didn't want them out of business. I just figured someone would contact them and warn them off.

Wouldn't be so sure about that. I've witnessed first hand what happens when some sort of power declares open season on a store. Suddenly there's carte blanche permission for every two bit scum to rob a place.

 

[LarryDavenport]

I was kind of shocked when visiting my favorite Beatle news web page, which is usually anti-pirate, that they had a link to Ebay that advertises tons of Bootleg DVDs for Let It Be, Live at Shea, Live at Budokan, the complete Beatle Cartoons, and the complete videos. I'd love to get these legit but have no interest in DVD bootlegs.

I've alsoe seen "Criterion" versions of the James Bond movies and 2001 on Ebay.

I can't believe Ebay has no way for the public to report bootleg DVDs