Would you sue over a DVD . . . the Japanese would (Spirited Away)!!! (1 Viewer)

[Jeff Kleist]

And $81 damages! What damage could it have possibly done?

It's more of a token than anything. Since you haven't seen the disc, I don't think you're in any position to comment. It IS defective

 

[Brenton]

I'm not arguing about whether or not it's defective. That isn't the point. Defective or not, no one has a right to sue over something like that.

Do I think the buyers deserve a corrected replacement copy? Absolutely. But something like this ought not to be bogging up the legal system. And it's ludicrous to ask for a penny in compensation for "damages".

 

[cafink]

Do I think the buyers deserve a corrected replacement copy? Absolutely. But something like this ought not to be bogging up the legal system.

They buyers DID ask, and beg, and plead for a corrected replacement copy! Disney refused to give them one. What course of action would you suggest?

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Exactly, people have been trying to get Disney to replace them since July. No luck

 

[Todd Bennington]

Just because they ask for $81 in damages per purchaser, the court is under no obligation to award that as well.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

I've seen a fresh theatrical print, and the DVD, and the DVD is crap. But on the many discs that have the trailer, there is no red tint on the trailer!
There are no true whites on the tinted DVD. Everything is viewed through 'rose-colored' glasses, and that's not a compliment!
Trailer shot which looks like the film:

Crappy red DVD:

A different, printed reference:
Movie poster
I assure you that nothing in the theater looked like the crappy red DVD.

 

[Sean Laughter]

WOW! And to think Disney is trying to push this over as if nothing is wrong with that transfer!

 

[Brenton]

Just because they ask for $81 in damages per purchaser, the court is under no obligation to award that as well.

I'm aware of that. I just find it ridiculous that they would even dream of winning that.

Does no one else see how crazy this whole thing is? I'm amazed that so many of you are supporting it!

 

[Michael St. Clair]

A bunch of angry consumers making fools of themselves in a court of law aren't going to help.

Plaintiffs in a class-action suit are basically anonymous; their friends/neighbors/coworkers aren't going to be looking up their names. Personally, I don't see them as making fools of themselves. You think somebody is going to say, hey, Joe Takahashi, you were one of the thousands of plaintiffs in that DVD suit! Ha ha ha, you are such a fool!

Now, Disney/Ghibli have definitely made fools of themselves for putting out this awful DVD, and refusing to do anything about it (which has resulted in this suit and horrible publicity).

Regardless of the merits of the suit, it is the defendant that is the idiot.

And as far as the dollar amount (per plaintiff) of the suit, you ALWAYS ask for more than you expect or even think you deserve, or you get even less than you deserve. Criticizing the amount is really an indictment of the legal system, not of the plaintiffs.

 

[Brenton]

And as far as the dollar amount (per plaintiff) of the suit, you ALWAYS ask for more than you expect or even think you deserve, or you get even less than you deserve. Criticizing the amount is really an indictment of the legal system, not of the plaintiffs.

My point is that they don't deserve a penny in damages.

 

[Ryan Peter]

I agree. And if it results in a better DVD, then good. But I really think this kind of thing doesn't belong in the court of law.

Wow, it's a great thing the Japanese court system has you watching out for them! I mean if *you* don't think this kind of thing belongs in court, throw it out now! You must be some sort of expert in Japanese law or something.

 

[Damin J Toell]

Wow, it's a great thing the Japanese court system has you watching out for them! I mean if *you* don't think this kind of thing belongs in court, throw it out now! You must be some sort of expert in Japanese law or something.

It sounds to me like Brenton was making a social commentary on the prudence of filing lawsuits, not a legal commentary; you don't need to be an expert in Japanese law to do that. I see non-legal-experts complaining about frivolous lawsuits all the time on this forum, other forums, at the local deli, on the subway...

DJ

 

[Greg Black]

Given the "red" thing it's almost like it was mastered at 6500k.

I thought all DVDs were mastered at 6500K?

 

[Mark Palermo]

Brenton, you are aware that DVDs cost money right?

George Lucas doesn't owe you anything because he hasn't sold you a defective product. Disney ripped off these people and refused to do anything about it.

Mark

 

[Sean Laughter]

I thought all DVDs were mastered at 6500K?

Maybe they are, I really don't know, but my DVDs certainly don't have a red haze over them like that. I just said 6500K because I know when I set my computer monitor to that everything looks red

 

[Robert_eb]

Are you a stock holder or executive at Disney?

 

[Ted Lee]

disney should just bite the bullet and send out a corrected copy just like (universal?) did with the defective jurassic park dvd.
those japanese sure are passionate ain't they!
brenton - if george lucas finally releases the trilogy and it's defective and there's a class-action lawsuit to get the issue fixed...would you join?

 

[Greg O' Connel]

I don't know why the Japanese are so upset. Madonna's acting isn't that bad.
Sorry, but when I first heard about this lawsuit I thought of Swept Away instead of Spirited Away.

 

[cafink]

Disney isn't required by law to give them one.

Are you actually familiar with Japanese law, or is this just guesswork on your part?

 

[Tim Fleming]

Ryan Peter said:

Wow, it's a great thing the Japanese court system has you watching out for them! I mean if *you* don't think this kind of thing belongs in court, throw it out now! You must be some sort of expert in Japanese law or something.

Actually, I think you will find that there is very little in the way of frivolous court action in Japan.

I think you will also find that this action is intended more to punish Disney over their attitude than it is to profit from their technical error - particularly considering how much they must have made in sales of this DVD, not to mention the additional collector's items which some may well consider to have been massively devalued as a result of the faulty mastering... for example the limited edition collection of diorama, posters, DVD, rice ball etc which cost around the 15,000 yen mark and the Studio Ghibli first edition DVD player + DVD that cost around the 19,500 mark.

But what I find most amusing about Brenton's comments apart from the fact that he is commenting on a single piece of litigation in a country with a legal system of which he probably has very little knowledge, is that he makes such comments while sitting smack dab in the middle of the land of litigation!

regards, Tim...