Los Angeles Area Raids

[honorarybrutha]

LOS ANGELES -- An estimated $1.2 million in movie-piracy equipment was seized Thursday in Los Angeles-area raids launched ahead of the summer blockbuster film season, the Motion Picture Association of America announced.

Association officials said the seized equipment included DVD inserts being prepared for pirated copies of the Tom Cruise action film "Mission: Impossible III," which is set to hit theaters Friday.

"The summer blockbuster season is a time for people to enjoy quality entertainment with family and friends and we want to make sure that consumers are safeguarded against pirates peddling counterfeit products," said Dan Glickman, chairman and CEO of the MPAA.

The MPAA launched its "Summer Blitz" campaign with a series of raids conducted today by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department near downtown Los Angeles, and by the Los Angeles Police Department in South Los Angeles.

http://www.nbc4.tv/news/9163851/detail.html?rss=la&psp=news

[ViRaL1]

"The summer blockbuster season is a time for people to enjoy quality entertainment with family and friends and we want to make sure that consumers are safeguarded against pirates peddling counterfeit products," said Dan Glickman, chairman and CEO of the MPAA.

WHEW!!! I feel safer already.

[TBoneit]

Sad to say if you went up to people on the street and said I've got the harry potter 4 (?) pirate version for $10 and the Real deal from the studio for $15 and that the pirated version quality isn't quite as good and it may not last as long (cause I used really cheap media!)

I'm thinking I'd sell 10 pirate to every 1 legit.

And before anybody asks I use Tys and verbatims and MIJ Sony media for myself on my personal stuff. In fact even the CD's I'm using are left from the Staples sale last year of 50 for $8.94 and are Fuji MIJ. And I don't sell copies of anything. Well if you brought in your data CDs/Floppies/Family home movies on DVD then wanted them on CD or DVD that is different.

[SingSing]

The pirated movie DVDs available before the release DVDs, are often camcorded off a movie screen. The picture and sound quality are really bad, yet they are still buyers. I think they don't feel safe going into a dark place like movie cinema.

[Teutatis]

"The summer blockbuster season is a time for people to enjoy quality entertainment with family and friends and we want to make sure that consumers are safeguarded against pirates peddling counterfeit products," said Dan Glickman, chairman and CEO of the MPAA.

WHEW!!! I feel safer already.

You shouldn't feel safer. Didn't you see the following at the end of the article:

Copyright 2006 by NBC4.tv. City News Service contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Yet you blatantly violated their copyright. You're in it deep now!

[superpotts]

I'm thinking I'd sell 10 pirate to every 1 legit.

Well, I and everybody I know would be the one's buying the legit versions. I'd gladly pay $5 more to not have to suffer through the crap quality of a video camera recording. I don't have a nice home theater setup so I can watch junk quality; if that's what I wanted then I'd stick with a 13" tv with no stereo. I don't know many people outside of college students who wouldn't pay $5 extra to have a movie that you can actually see and hear.

[FulciLives]

I hope MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 3 bombs big time.

I am sick of Tom Cruise and I doubt I am the only one.

The first movie was good but the second one was not so good despite being directed by John Woo ... who was forced to do certain things and do certain things a very certain way ... all due to bonehead Cruise being the producer.

I can't imagine this one being much better ...

However I really want it to bomb because I'm sick of Cruise. If a couple of his movies bomb then Hollywood might dump him and I won't have to see or hear his face like 99% of the time I turn on the damn TV.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[nwo]

is a time for people to enjoy quality entertainment

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[TBoneit]

I'd buy the real one myself OTOH form what I'm see in a large percentage of the customers the only thing that matters is price not quality. My father was like that he'd be happy as can be if he found hot dogs really cheap and rush over to buy them. He didn't even card if they were all meat. Before you ask they were also made with some kind of cereal as well as mystery meat.

You don't even want to know just how tough that bird he bought from the supermarket one time was. It didn't even say chicken or whatever on the label. It was just named Fowl at a really low price. We kids just called it foul. Now I can laugh at the memory but trying to eat the thing.

I get them all the time looking for the cheapest brand of Mobo and will not upsell to the good brand (Asus, or even Foxconn) for just a few dollars more, And the Mobo is the heart of the system.

[bendixG15]

Excert from the original news story.....................

LA Raids Seize $1.2 Million In Movie Piracy Equipment

POSTED: 5:45 pm PDT May 4, 2006

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Copyright 2006 by NBC4.tv. City News Service contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed

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Strange..they provide a link to email the story, and to print it,
then they print the copyright warning.....
I knew I should have taken more law courses..

[DarrellS]

I am sick of Tom Cruise and I doubt I am the only one.

I never could stand him and I'd never pay to see any of his movies, bootleg or not. Matter of fact. I wouldn't watch them if you paid me to watch.

[richdvd]

I hope MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 3 bombs big time.

I am sick of Tom Cruise and I doubt I am the only one.

The first movie was good but the second one was not so good despite being directed by John Woo ... who was forced to do certain things and do certain things a very certain way ... all due to bonehead Cruise being the producer.

I can't imagine this one being much better ...

However I really want it to bomb because I'm sick of Cruise. If a couple of his movies bomb then Hollywood might dump him and I won't have to see or hear his face like 99% of the time I turn on the damn TV.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

Agreed.....

[satviewer2000]

I'm thinking I'd sell 10 pirate to every 1 legit.

Well, I and everybody I know would be the one's buying the legit versions. I'd gladly pay $5 more to not have to suffer through the crap quality of a video camera recording. I don't have a nice home theater setup so I can watch junk quality; if that's what I wanted then I'd stick with a 13" tv with no stereo. I don't know many people outside of college students who wouldn't pay $5 extra to have a movie that you can actually see and hear.

The difference is that the pirates are selling DVDs of movies which are STILL PLAYING IN THEATRES. Of course once the official DVD comes out months later, people won't buy a camcorder version of the movie from a street vendor, even if it is much less.

But people want to buy or see the movie *now*, especially in this age of drive through mentality. I think if movie theatres release official DVDs of movies being shown in the theatres, say within a day or even within a week of their release at the theatres, then people will gladly pay more for the official DVD versions.

[SingSing]

Theaters with $4.75 Soda and $5.00 pop corn, is anotheR put-off, that people rather watch a camcordered knock off, then go to watch movie with the family.

[lenti_75]

I really don't understand WHY people have to wath the new shitty movies NOW....it's been a while since I watched a really good one, not f... n... shit called comedy......

[TBoneit]

I used to have friends that had Video rental stores (Chain went out) and one thing you could depend on without fail. On the day the new releases became available the phone would be ringing before opening time with people looking to reserve the new releases. All three stores were like that. If a person wanted one on release day they had to be there at opening. These were small stores of course. Nowdays a Hollywood Video will have a larger stock.

But there were people that had to have it on release day, Why? it doesn't spoil, it doesn't suddenly turn to dreck the next day, but if they couldn't get it at one store they'd call around all over looking for it on release day.

Same reason that people lined up for that last Star Wars movie to see the first showing, Same reason People were lined up to buy the last Harry Potter book once midnight was past and they could be sold. I remember when Win95 came out people were lined up to buy it too.

That's not me...... However I know people like that and if I ask the answer is because.

OTOH I don't slow and gawk at some poor schlub getting a ticket or whatever on the highway.
I couldn't believe it one day everybody was slowing to do look at someone chaning a tire, Good Grief, is their life that boring that someone with a flat is entertaining?

One reason I gave up driving for a living and found a job 6 minutes from home. Driving in NJ is the pits.

[handyguy]

For what it costs to take 2 people to a theatre, you could buy the dvd.

[DarrellS]

For what it costs to take 2 people to a theatre, you could buy the dvd.

You mean two DVDs?