ronlaw

User Group: Members
Join date: 4-Jun-2004
Last activity: 1-Nov-2011
Posts: 83

Post History

Post: #211754
Topic: Info Wanted: Legal implications of the OOT DVDs
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/211754/action/topic#211754
Time: 20-May-2006 1:00 PM

As in the case with the RIAA, if something happens you won't get to argue your case unless you have money.

A C&D threatening all kinds of terrible things will arrive.
Ignore that, a case gets filed and a letter arrives saying "pay us $5000 and we will drop the case".
If you want to stand on your principles, better have some tens of thousands set aside to fight the case.

I agree that they probably could have shut things down earlier, however, technically the OOT was not available commercially on DVD before now, so fans were distributing something that didn't commercially exist, so it couldn't be argued that sales were being lost.

This might just clarify the legal point.

Still, it probably is just paranoia.

Which leaves making money as the motive. Entirely believable I guess. Some marketers idea of "leveraging the brand", perhaps. I don't really believe George Lucas is money grubbing like many do, but Lucasfilm doubtless contains dozens of sales people whose job is simply to find out new ways to make money off Star Wars.

Post: #211651
Topic: Info Wanted: Legal implications of the OOT DVDs
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/211651/action/topic#211651
Time: 20-May-2006 1:29 AM

Oh, and I meant to add:

We have seen with the RIAA (and to a lesser extent MPAA) that they don't necessarily think about this logically. For example they count every download as a lost sale, regardless of whether the downloader would have bought it or not. Further, they don't realise, or can't accept, that the biggest downloaders and distributors may often be the biggest fans who have already spent lots of money on the officiial stuff.

So the fact that most people here have already bought one or several copies of Star Wars won't affect their perception of us as greedy internet thieves.

(This is a stupid argument, but its how they perceive the situation).

Post: #211644
Topic: Info Wanted: Legal implications of the OOT DVDs
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/211644/action/topic#211644
Time: 20-May-2006 1:03 AM — Edited 4-Jul-2020 10:14 AM

What do you think are the legal implications of the new OOT DVDs being released?

I could think of 3 reasons to do them:
1 - to please the OOT fans
2 - to make money
3 - to clear up the legal situation and allow those who distribute OOT rips to be prosecuted.

I think 1 is clearly out the window, they are not particularly concerned about this (indeed Mr Lucas doesn’t even believe there is really a demand for them).
2 is a given. They wouldn’t do it if it lost money.
So that leaves 3.

I think all restorers who are making an organised effort - like X0 Project - should be VERY CAREFUL come September.

We have seen that the MPAA is getting harsher, tagging along behind the RIAA’s “sue the customer to increase sales” tactic.

We have seen that George Lucas has developed a strange loathing for some sections of his fans (maybe all of them).

It seems that LucasFilm are becoming more and more the commercial money-making machine, moving away from their original emphasis on new tech.

So therefore: I suspect that we will see a flood of cease-and-desists and possibly serious legal action against the most visible restoration projects, come September.

What do you think?

Post: #211016
Topic: New DVDs NOT 16x9
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/211016/action/topic#211016
Time: 18-May-2006 12:17 PM

OK. The guy is probably having some mental and/or emotional problems. I started thinking a while back, that the worship seems to have gone to his head in the worst way, making him think he really is some kind of god; and on the other hand, he is heartily sick of the whole affair and has a nasty little streak that wants to ruin it for everyone. Learning about his wife and the settlement with her gives more fuel to that fire, now he's got to pay money to someone he dislikes, so that's more motivation to damage and fiddle with it.
All of these motivations and feelings live in Mr Lucas, and what comes out as a result is a mixed-up, self-contradictory story that pleases no-one and constantly changes. Notably, there's no point trying to REASON with someone in such a state of mind.

Actually I feel a bit sorry for him. It's a pity that enthusiastic, talented, practical young guy has become a bitter and greedy old man. Thanks for the original Star Wars anyway, Mr Lucas. I suggest you just foget about it all and let Lucasfilm do whatever they like - you might feel better.

Damn, I do wish I could get a decent copy of the original films though

Back to the X0 project then.

Post: #210395
Topic: Lucas talks about the Sept 12th Release of the O-OT
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/210395/action/topic#210395
Time: 17-May-2006 9:42 AM

I think I've had enough of this silliness. I probably won't buy the new release. I didn't buy the 2004 ones either. I feel like I'm being manipulated and patronised.

The laserdiscs do suck somewhat, but they are not too bad with the decent player and projector I have.

Incidentally, there are parts of the SE I like - the new end song of ROTJ for one, but that's messed up by Mr Soon-to-be-living-the-rest-of-his-acting-life-in-mortal-embarrassment there.

Post: #206734
Topic: .: The XØ Project - Laserdisc on Steroids :. (SEE FIRST POST FOR UPDATES) (* unfinished project *)
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/206734/action/topic#206734
Time: 5-May-2006 1:17 PM

Couple of questions for the X0 team (not related to the new DVD releases).
Sorry if these have been answered before: I *have* read this whole thread and the newsletters, but I never got clear answers to these questions.

1. Does theX0 project (one of the members) actually own the HLD-X0?

Or is it just a loaner from someone/once off?

2. Did you ever try the 5 x re-sampling like Citizen tried with his German PAL LDs? (Or any amount of re-sampling).

He appears to have gotten another incremental level of accuracy/detail out of that, but perhaps it wouldn't be so useful for the X0 - maybe it gets pretty much all the original encoded detail that is there (I seem to remember it internally does some resampling of several analog paths)

Thanks.

Post: #206363
Topic: The Official 2006 Discs Will Be No Better Than What We Have!
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/206363/action/topic#206363
Time: 4-May-2006 3:01 PM

Take a close look at the X-wing screenshot.
Zoom in, and you see big blocky stars... like a clean-ish laserdisc transfer.

It could just be a webmaster who resized them poorly, but in conjunction with the other things they're saying, it's not looking too great.

Post: #139171
Topic: Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace Story Rewrite (deleted information)
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/139171/action/topic#139171
Time: 17-Sep-2005 1:21 PM

Hey, that is quite cool! I really liked the improved tie-in to the OT, and the training of Anakin was great. I like skipping the young Anakin.

However I think you have FAR too much material for one film. Don't they talk about 3 acts? In that case you've got twice as much as you need. In general I would not be introducing new characters later in the story either, except perhaps you could get away with the Sith as mysterious characters to be fleshed out later.