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Curbing Fanfilm/Edit Piracy

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Ok, I thought I'd bring this up as I'm getting a bit frustrated. I was at Sac Anime in Sacramento yesterday, and was very saddened to see not only some fanedits, but even fanfilms for sale. I saw Contract of Evil and Revelations being sold for 10 bucks a pop. I saw a disc labeled "The Unaltered Trilogy", a cover I'd never seen. On a table across the way was Deleted Magic. I don't know how much, but I don't doubt it was more than the price of materials. At Wondercon the month before, someone was selling it. Worse, at a table where two cast members were signing, copies of Superman II - The international Cut was being sold for 20 dollars. there was even a sign claiming it was regularly 40.

I know stopping stuff like this is impossible. Ebay's usually got people selling them. But seeing them at cons and watching fans get ripped off buying another fan's hardwork is just too infuriating. It's one thing if they're the price of materials, and maybe a little more to help pay for the table. There was one guy selling copies of out of print anime CDs that are superb replicas for five bucks. I just wish it were mentioned though.

Still, there should be someway to curb this. Perhaps having new covers for edits proclaiming what they truly are (free fan works), in a noticable, tough to alter way might help a bit. So many of the ones I see use the works of Coov and others in the cover thread. I also try to inform anyone I see interested discretely.

Any thoughts?


Made for IE Forum's Episode III theme month - May 2005.

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A lot of fan edit/preservation discs that I've seen recently have an unskippable anti-profit warning at the bootup of the disc. If the particular seller knows anything about re-authoring DVDs with a computer (which 95% of the time, they do not), they could take it off, but like I say, they wouldn't usually take the time.

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I was thinking of going to Sac Con, but gas, weather being iffy, and being broke kept me. Yes I was at Wonderconad and I saw the same thing. I actually bought the Superman II edit from the guy for $10 after I said I alread had an edit. So he slashed the price. I figured it may be a different version. Same edit but witjhout menues, and without the bonus soundtrack.

Not sure what can be done. It's not like we can sue or anything, but unfortuanately there are enough fans who are willing to shell out $20 or more for DVDs that people like OCP and Dr Gonzo did for free. They are extrememly overpriced, and I think that just carging between$5 -- at most $10 is more than enough to recover cost. $10 to recover cost of running a table. It's ironic when pirates are being pirated. Arrrrh. Maybe a popup during the middle of the movie or just before the movie starts "If you paid for this, you've been ripped off." or "this is for fans, by fans, spread this freely, don't charge."

I know that NYC has a disclaimer on his Blade Runner HD Edit.
There's good in the Original Trilogy, and it's worth fighting for.
"People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people."
http://www.myspace.com/harlock415
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Oh, there are several that have a "If you paid for this..." warning. Anime fansubs have this as practically a requirement since so many try to sell fansubs. The problem is that they won't be seen until after money has changed hands. The real question is informing people before the damage is done. Since a lot don't use custom covers, and instead that found in Rikter's cover batch, I'm thinking adding notes to the cover might help. Anything from a subtle "Distributed for free at..." that the seller might miss, to a more obvious "FREE FAN PROJECT - NOT FOR SALE" in big, bold letters up front. Though that may be too obvious, and hence make the cover unusable. Basically, if it could just be better expressed, it might help. Wishfull thinking I know.

Shame this is so under the radar. It's not like we can report them to cons either. "He's selling bootlegs of a fan bootleg." ^_^ Maybe leave off the last part.


Made for IE Forum's Episode III theme month - May 2005.

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Yup. I don't know huw much these guys are making off of the fan projrcts, but I think that $20 and up is just wrong. I take the time to download the disc, burn it, make a DVD cover, withthe DVD case. The most it should cost me is what, $2?

Selling at a tabel I would prob charge $5 to help pay for cost of the table.
There's good in the Original Trilogy, and it's worth fighting for.
"People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people."
http://www.myspace.com/harlock415
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I always see the same guy at shows and for years he has been selling boot copies of the Frighteners extended cut from the Laserdisc. Even now with the DVD of the Director's cut out there. And he charges $40 for it. According to him it is to re-coop the money he had to shell out for the laserdisc. Yah right!! And I'm sure in the last 5 years he hasn't made that money back yet!!!???
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I've resolved not to buy from these people anymore. THey make bank off of the hard work of many people here who do it for love of the project. I'm still irked by the SupermanII I bought.
There's good in the Original Trilogy, and it's worth fighting for.
"People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people."
http://www.myspace.com/harlock415
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What really got me on that was the sign claiming it was regularly forty dollars. Wanna try five, tops? That, and you had actors from the film right there too.


Made for IE Forum's Episode III theme month - May 2005.

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Originally posted by: Klingon_Jedi
Oh, there are several that have a "If you paid for this..." warning. Anime fansubs have this as practically a requirement since so many try to sell fansubs. The problem is that they won't be seen until after money has changed hands. The real question is informing people before the damage is done. Since a lot don't use custom covers, and instead that found in Rikter's cover batch, I'm thinking adding notes to the cover might help. Anything from a subtle "Distributed for free at..." that the seller might miss, to a more obvious "FREE FAN PROJECT - NOT FOR SALE" in big, bold letters up front. Though that may be too obvious, and hence make the cover unusable. Basically, if it could just be better expressed, it might help. Wishfull thinking I know.

Shame this is so under the radar. It's not like we can report them to cons either. "He's selling bootlegs of a fan bootleg." ^_^ Maybe leave off the last part.


I think the unskipple intro is the best thing really. At least if they buy 1 DVD with this they will then be informed that these releases are free and available from other sources and hopefully they wont need to part with their cash again.... Hopefully every time they sell one of these to a fan they will lose that customer and we will gain somebody else for the community.

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I bet most of these bootleggers don't watch all of the films they are re-distributing (selling) all the way through. They probably just skip through the chapters and get a quick feel. So maybe the fan editors should make up alternate versions of their edits and filter them to the bootleggers. These edits would start off fine but then maybe all of a sudden 1/2 way through switch to an episode of Little House on the Prairie. If someone dumped $20 bucks for the title they will be out for blood the next time they see that seller at a convention/show/ etc...to get they money back.
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Well, those guys are a dime a dozen. It's the creators that are going to get a bad rap for something like this.

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>

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"Bootlegging" (which I feel ONLY applies if you can BUY it at the store and your trying to circumvent paying full retail price) has been around since the first Wire Recorder's came out then the Speak-O-Phone, The Reel-to-Reel recorders, Portable Cassette recorders, Mini-Cassette recorders, then the first home VCR's and Beta decks followed by CDr's (Audio, MP3, VCD, SVCD, mini DVD) and now DVDr.

It will always be around and the simple fact is that I got 50 percent of my collection at shows and conventions if not for these so called "bootleggers" I would not have my collection and I never would have uploaded the 70+ DVD's that I've uploaded to share with the whole world.... This subject has been beaten around SO many times here on these very forums (just read back into the older posts)

And I agree with MeBeJedi, spreading “bad” discs is a bad idea period as it would reflect on us (DVD creators).

This is old but, I posted this back in 2004 about eBay but it still applies to all “bootleggers” and traders (myself included here)...

No these boards are not here to stop eBay sellers from selling bootlegs - BUT it does help, The fact is it's NO big deal that they sell them - YES it sucks as they sell my Holiday Special with my artwork (for upto $100!!) but hey it happens. When this first happened I was angry but it's cool as I did post them on the internet for the whole world to get for FREE!

BUT YES - It's true that they could come HERE and get them either for FREE or way CHEAPER then they could on eBay - BUT some people NEVER research that kind of stuff SO those people NEED eBay - I mean have you seen the feedback these alleged "jackers" are getting form the buyers of these overpriced sets? They (the bidders) LOVE what they are getting and the feedback they leave the "jacker" shows this - IF they did not like the DVD's they would negative feedback.

So WHY screw it up for the fans that cannot or will not spend the MANY, MANY hours needed to track down a set of "fan-created" DVD's?

Some of these bidders do not have HOME PC's, Printers, DVD burners, broadband or the know-how to Burn, Print and create their own DVD sets. These bidders are getting COMPLETE sets for the most part - That's a TURN-KEY set that they can add to there DVD collections.

I do not agree with those that sell strictly for profit (you know who you are guys) BUT the DO have there place.

That and eBay has its own Police to shut this stuff down, MOSTLY it's just other sellers that shut down folks like my brother (WHOM sold the sets for $25 SHIPPED Priority Mail with keepcase and disc art!!) - AS WE cut into their PROFITS. It would seem that even I was reported on SELL.COM by another member who sold Star Wars DVD's on that site AS I was cutting in on their profits. - You see the true pirates SHUT us down when we try to sell cheap, this is one reason the prices stay high - If a seller comes on the scene and starts to get people set-up CHEAP those profiteers jsut report us. (by the way... I've joined the other sites they sell on!! - see ya soon! )

I just see no point in hunting down these eBay sellers, since if you do start that crusade you'll really need to hunt them down on EPIER.COM, SELL.COM and of course YAHOO auctions. THEN you'll need to hunt down the sellers that offer them on FORUMS and NEWSGROUPS....

Soon you'll come after fans like myself and a few others that upload them for free.

THE best thing for us to do at this point is EVERYONE should start to sell on ALL THE ONLINE AUCTION houses - IF we do this WE can FORCE down the price off the bootlegs on eBay and the other sites.

THAT and if they get shut down... HOW the heck will WE (as in the FANS collectively) get the latest bootlegs that WE here on the OT forums do not create?


So post on all the forums you’re on and start trading, selling or auctioning (fixed prices work best) all the discs you have as that is the only honest way that all the fans who do not have internet access or know about this and other forums like it can find these titles.

Word…

“My skill are no longer as Mad as the once were” RiK