When I hear people tell me--with pride--how much they're getting out of Netflix thanks to their DVD burners, I get pissed.
I feel the current industry paranoia regarding movie and music pirating is more than just paranoia. While I'm worried they'll take copy protection measures too far, I can't blame them for trying to defend their intellectual property from a society that believes they deserve something for nothing.
The OT is different though. The official word from Lucasfilm is that the original cuts no longer exist. Period. They're gone forever.
If that's the case, is it really bootlegging? How can you bootleg something that doesn't exist? If Lucas truly has cast aside the original cuts as mere workprints not worthy of their own DVD release, why should he even care if people are copying old laserdiscs?
You also have to consider that we're talking about something the vast majority of consumers would be more than happy to pay for if given the chance.
I'm a huge fan of Stanley Kubrick. My favorite filmmaker, bar none. I don't think it's possible to convey my respect for his work with mere words. Pretend for a moment he's still with us and his collection of work hasn't been released in a wonderful box set. We're still getting by with pan and scan VHS tapes and the letterbox laserdisc of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Kubrick announces that he's no longer satisfied with his work on 2001, and he's going to replace some of the effects with CGI. The original theatrical version will not be made available on DVD.
I'd bootleg the laserdisc without hesitation. Despite all my respect for the creator of the work, his disregard for its effect on me renders that respect null and void.
That's what all this really comes down to. Respect. We respect the artist, and in return the artist respects us.
And we both respect the work. That is paramount.
I'm not feeling very respected by Mr. Lucas right now. Something tells me that if the theatrical cuts had a voice, they'd say that they're not feeling very respected by Mr. Lucas either.
I'm more than happy to give them the respect they deserve by preserving them for future generations, with or without Mr. Lucas's approval.