China sentences U.S. men over pirated DVDs

[Ward River]

China sentences U.S. men over pirated DVDs

The Associated Press
Updated: 3:02 a.m. ET April 19, 2005

SHANGHAI, China - Two American men were sentenced Tuesday to prison terms of up to 2½ years for selling pirated DVDs on Internet sites like eBay in a rare success for joint U.S.-China efforts to enforce intellectual property laws.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7553287

[SLK001]

They probably got sentenced for not selling Chinese produced pirate discs! Cutting into the Chinese profit margin!

[waheed]

Most of the pirate copies do originate from Asia.

[Kunta Kinte]

Not to mention a huge part of the Chinese working class are involved in this illegal activity. For the Chinese authorities to crack down on Chinese video pirates in China would be shooting itself in its own economic foot. I personally feel this is a political arrest, and if anything, resembles throwing a frisbee into the Grand canyon for all the effect it will have on the market.

[BJ_M]

true -- they still sell them on every street corner and in 1000's of stores ...

why these two guys ?

[Kunta Kinte]

That's an easy one: You make a powerful statement to the MPAA that you're serious about cracking down on DVD piracy, and not one Chinese citizen has to serve a day in jail.

[adam]

My guess is that China is more willing to give up foreigners than its own citizens. Let's face it, they only enforce IP laws as much as they absolutely must to appease foreign nations. The US was willing to take whatever it could get.

[Steve Stepoway]

why these two guys ?

They probably paid the smallest bribes.

[waheed]

why these two guys ?

I guess it depends on the volume. The article does say they were accused of selling more than 180,000 pirated dvds.

[BJ_M]

so they made about 20 grand profit ..

[snitzle_iii]

ok im chineese and i went back to hk (so much more democratic and capitalistic) than china and i think in 00' it was hella easy to buy illegal cds/moves/dvds and they were dirt cheep like the dvds were only 4 or 5 dollars well anyways my freind went back this year and like a buch of places are getting shut down/been shut down. the goverment i guess isnt' putting up with any of this shit. they used to turn a blind eye. well anywys u can still buy illegal/copied shit from small stores in china town even indian places have them too

[BJ_M]

in the 12 "tourist' zones in china - they are much harder to find .. in the interior and non zone areas .. no problem .. but last time I was there was a couple years ago .. never looked for them in HK though . Things - as you have said, may have really changed .. for one I know about.... you are monitored much more closely in Net cafe's (and not as many around), though still many china based software piracy sites ..

[handyguy]

HK has another set of copyright laws so its easier to do it there. Wonder what chinese prison is like?

[snitzle_iii]

oh yeh china is so much diffent than hk. china is still squirming with pirated and fake shit. i mean like when kung fu husltler came out there were dvd/vcd/svcd movies so it still hasnt gone dry

[smearbrick1]

I just can't imagine 2.5 years in a Chinese jail. No thanks...

[snitzle_iii]

they have holes where u poop in them lol! but i bet its scary

[BJ_M]

not even holes - you should know ...

open troughs and no TP ..... ive been there (not in prison though) ..

the places with the hole are upscale ...



now minde you in the major centers and tourist areas - its not like that at all ..

[Nilfennasion]

Anyone who thinks that all racism is white-on-black or white-on-whatever will be overlooking this obvious answer to why these two:

They are US citizens.

As far as China is concerned, that is it.

[hexxisoft]

i dont think its racism, since america doesn't have its own race. it's anti-americanism.

[lordsmurf]

I suggest the politics end now. Thanks.

[pfh]

The best policy is don't buy it.

1. It usually junk quality

2. It may not even be what it's labeled as

3. It's illegal

4. It doesn't support the artists

5. These idiots should have known better

6. It's a bad habit

7. ...............

[waheed]

The best policy is don't buy it.

1. It usually junk quality

2. It may not even be what it's labeled as

3. It's illegal

4. It doesn't support the artists

5. These idiots should have known better

6. It's a bad habit

7. ...............

True. But there are thousands (if not millions) of ordinary people that cant tell the difference between an original dvd and a pirate dvd.

Some of these dvds just look like the original in term of artwork. Its when people play them in their players and see the jerky quality realise they have been conned.

[RottenFoxBreath]

The best policy is don't buy it.

1. It usually junk quality

2. It may not even be what it's labeled as

3. It's illegal

4. It doesn't support the artists

5. These idiots should have known better

6. It's a bad habit

7. ...............

1.people dont care
2.people dont care
3.people dont care
4.people dont care
5.people dont care
6.people dont care
6.people dont care
7.repeat until bored

thats the thing,most people dont care.2 us citizens,who cares,as long as the chinese can say,look were not condoning these actions,well take action.
until the next batch of movies hit the streets....

[pfh]

True to all.

BUT the people don't care until they realize they've been had. OR, they don't care they've been had! :0

[Ironballs]

I hope they have the same number of kidneys as when they get out