http://books.google.com/books?id=cRYEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA125&dq=%22copyright+infringement%22+%22star+wars%22&hl=en&ei=zpL7TbiCHeHa0QGR_ZnJAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CD4Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=%22copyright%20infringement%22%20%22star%20wars%22&f=false
Orange Coast Magazine : Feb 1982 : 'Smashing Home Video'
Quote: "The main effort of the MPAA's Film Security Office is "to get stricter laws on the books," said Mann. Currently, first-offense infringement is treated as a misdemeanor. The group is "working on getting laws ammended to make (infringement) a felony," says Mann.
Are there certain films that are more popular priate targets than others? "Anything brand new," says Mann, and cited Raiders of the Lost Art as a current favorite. "Star Wars is the most infringed film ni the history of the industry," he says. "Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back have never been released to the video market, so any cassettes you see of those films are illegal.""
http://books.google.com/books?id=okw1AAAAMAAJ&q=%22copyright+infringement%22+%22star+wars%22&dq=%22copyright+infringement%22+%22star+wars%22&hl=en&ei=vpn7TZqdJsbV0QGsnKHNAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CEcQ6AEwBTgU
Business Week 1983
Quote: "Before Star Wars became available legally on tape, illegal cassettes priced at $500 found willing buyers."
Congressional Quarterly 1983
Quote: "There are also more subtle ways to lobby when it comes to issues ofimportance to Hollywood.
Members of the House Judiciary Committee, for example, were invited May 11 to dinner and a sneak preview of 'Return of the Jedi"
Video World-Wide : an International Study 1988
There have been many examples of pirated video movies in Australia. For example, prints of the film Return of the Jedi were stolen from cinemas in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. Subsequently video copies of this film were available in Australia before its cinema release.
1984 Year Book
The industry was growing as rapidly in 1983 that piracy became an increasing problem. In some cases, no sooner was a film released than it began turning up on illegal cassettes throughout the world. Studiios took extra precautions to guard prints so that they were not 'borrowed' from theaters overnight and copied. For example, Return of the Jedi was reportedly stolen six times within two weeks.
Business Today 1983
Shortly after its release this summer, the box-office hit Return of the Jedi was stolen by video pirates six times from theaters in three states and Great Britain. "This is an outrageous situation," exclaimed Robert Greber, president of Lucasfilm, producer of Return of the Jedi
CBS Evening News for Tuesday, Jul 12, 1983
Headline: Video Pirates
http://tvnews.vanderbilt.edu/program.pl?ID=291510
REPORTER: Dan Rather
(San Francisco, California) Econ. impact of video pirates on Return of the Jedi examined; scenes shown courtesy Lucasfilms. [Lucasfilms spokesperson Robert GREBER - anticipates violence in film thefts by video pirates.] Sec. measures taken by filmmakers noted. [Motion Picture Association of America spokesperson Dick BLOESER - questions film knowledge of thieves.]
REPORTER: Barry Petersen
nice article from the time, not on topic:
http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20085640,00.html
August 08, 1983 Vol. 20 No. 6
The Forces Behind Jedi: Making Movie History Took Lucas & Co. to the Outer Limits
CBS Evening News for Friday, Jan 22, 1982 : Headline: Video Piracy
http://tvnews.vanderbilt.edu/diglib-fulldisplay.pl?SID=20110618668945312&code=tvn&RC=280077&Row=995
REPORTER: Dan Rather
(Chicago, Illinois) Conviction and sentencing of Peter Arcabascio for video piracy examined; his piracy of movies such as "Star Wars" noted. [ARCABASCIO - is stunned at sentence.] Extent of video piracy in Chicago noted. [Motion Picture Association spokesperson Richard BLOESER - cites blatancy of piracy here.] [US attorney Dan WEBB - comments.] Bootleg copies of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" said still selling. [Video retailer Ray NELSON - notes losses to piracy.] [Retailer Michael WEISS - comments.] [Retailer Lou PERRY - doesn't think piracy can be stopped.] Possible cause of situation considered.
REPORTER: Bob McNamara
CBS Evening News for Monday, Jun 14, 1982
http://tvnews.vanderbilt.edu/diglib-fulldisplay.pl?SID=20110618668945312&code=tvn&RC=284228&Row=994
(Studio) Supreme Court ruling on use of class action suits in job discrimination cases detailed; court decision on case involving union rights and campaign contributions outlined. Court said promising future hearing and decision on home videotape industry's possible infringement of copyright laws.
REPORTER: Dan Rather(DC) Extent of home video recorder industry outlined; "Star Wars" cited as ex.; scenes shown. Basis of Sony Corp.'s appeal to Supreme Court explained; studios' position outlined. [Motion Picture Association president Jack VALENTI - explains studios' stance.] [Mfrs. attorney Charles FERRIS - responds.] Extent of situation considered.
REPORTER: Jeff Greenfield
ABC Evening News for Tuesday, Jan 18, 1983 - Headline: Supreme Court / Video Recorders
http://tvnews.vanderbilt.edu/diglib-fulldisplay.pl?SID=20110618668945312&code=tvn&RC=80705&Row=987
(Studio) Supreme Court reported hearing arguments today on Betamax case, involving home video recorders and possible infringement of copyright law.
REPORTER: Ted Koppel(DC) Movie industry's opposition to home video recordings as intruding on their profits examined; "Star Wars" cited as example Scenes shown courtesy 20th Century Fox. Argument presented by Universal Studios attorney Stephen Kroft and apparent reaction of Justices Sandra O'Connor, Lewis F. Powell quoted on screen. [Sony Corporation attorney Dean DUNLAVEY - defs. home recordings.] Possible outcome of case considered.
REPORTER: Tim O'Brien Artist: Freda Reiter
ABC Evening News for Tuesday, Jan 24, 1984 - Headline: Video Piracy
http://tvnews.vanderbilt.edu/diglib-fulldisplay.pl?SID=20110618668945312&code=tvn&RC=86974&Row=964
(Studio) Supreme Court's recent ruling on home video recordings recalled.
REPORTER: Peter Jennings(Travis AFB, California) Convicted video pirate United States Air Force Captain Eugene Horvath's case examined; his career background noted. [HORVATH - wants to return to duty.] August 1982 FBI raid on Horvath's home and confiscation of video equipment and bootleg tapes of such films as "Empire Strikes Back, Superman II" and "Raiders" of the Lost Ark recalled; scenes shown. [Motion Picture Association of America spokesperson Charlie VARNON - believes Horvath has paid his debt to society and motion picture industry] Horvath's defense against United States Air Force efforts to discharge him noted resting on claim that United States Air Force is also guilty of video piracy. [HORVATH - notes no. video movies possessed by United States Air Force.] Horvath's videotape of allegedly- illegal dubbing operation run by United States Air Force in Japan shown, discussed; Army recalled closing its similar taping ctrs. [HORVATH - denies doing anything wrong.]
REPORTER: Peter Lance
Attack of the Clones FTF
http://www.theforce.net/episode2/story/ap_talks_aotc_bootleg_67071.asp
A week before its scheduled release, illegal copies of "Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones" are already appearing on the Internet.
One copy of the movie making the rounds online appears to have been recorded at a private showing, using a tripod-mounted digital camcorder pointed at the screen, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday. Another copy apparently used a more sophisticated version of the same technique.
"It's an extremely serious threat," said Jean Murrell Adams, head of the litigation department at DreamWorks SKG. "I'm not surprised that it's on the Internet. I talk to pirates because I want to find out why they're doing this. And what I've been told is that they were eagerly anticipating who would be first to do this. It's a challenge for them."
http://strangetalk.net/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=18377
http://theisonews.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=77441&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0&sid=eab458a5be7ec3e0c2e2392f69ac3e35
FTF & TucVcd & HaFVCD pre-release versions
Quality and sound supposedly suxxx, but is most likely the only pre-release.
A cam of a movie, as tightly-guarded as this one is, is still quite a fucking accomplishment.
The source of this is likely the screening wed night at the zeigfeld in NYC. The tapes were floating around downtown NYC 12 hours before this hit the servers so this is likely.
STAR WARS IS A FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT MOVIE... END OF STORY!!!!!!!!!