Allow people to ask for restoration help for pirated videos

[VideoFanatic]

I see in the rules that you can't ask for help with pirated videos. Why is this? I thought the law says it's illegal to buy pirated videos but it's not illegal to talk about them?

I can understand not allowing discussions of pirated versions of commercially released footage (I'm not sure why you'd need restoration help with that stuff anyway as DVDs in shops are usually good quality. But why not allow people to ask for restoration help for stuff that is NOT commercially available such as stuff that only aired on TV that you can't buy in the shops. That's not harming anyone. It's that stuff that you most need help with anyway.

[hech54]

I see in the rules that you can't ask for help with pirated videos. Why is this? I thought the law says it's illegal to buy pirated videos but it's not illegal to talk about them?

WTF are you talking about?
Why is this?.....because those are the rules here at videohelp.
Not illegal to talk about them?.....it's not illegal to talk about anal raping an 8 year old goat but it does tend to draw the attention of law enforcement who are pretty good at finding ways to shut you the fvkk up. Just ask the guys who made DVDDecrypter and DVDShrink.

[sanlyn]

It's one thing to fall for the I-can_get_it_for_you_cheap racket, and people fall for this sort of thing all the time. One can be forgiven if one doesn't know better, but that doesn't justify the forum condoning the practise by offering "help" to fix stolen goods.

[netmask56]

Of course some people subscribe to the sentiment expressed in the song "It's A simple Little System" from Bells Are Ringing.
However my guess is the message will be too subtle for the OP....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-x0ypj1BM0

[El Heggunte]

You can learn a lot by reading old posts and by trying / testing / verifying as well.

What works for "legally-obtained" stuff should also work for stuff from "dubious sources".

And more importantly, the world doesn't need to know everything that you do, this is not a Facebook page alright.

Bottom line is, people please stop being sooooo laaaaazy

[Baldrick]

Buying or downloading pirate/ware material is not okey. It doesn't matter if it's a hard to get tv-recording or the latest blockbuster movie cam release. It's just easiest that way.

So record your tv serie/game/etc yourself next time.....or it's okey to ask a friend to record it for you too.

[marioval]

I see in the rules that you can't ask for help with pirated videos. Why is this? I thought the law says it's illegal to buy pirated videos but it's not illegal to talk about them?

WTF are you talking about?
Why is this?.....because those are the rules here at videohelp.
Not illegal to talk about them?.....it's not illegal to talk about anal raping an 8 year old goat but it does tend to draw the attention of law enforcement who are pretty good at finding ways to shut you the fvkk up. Just ask the guys who made DVDDecrypter and DVDShrink.

What if the goats 18? I'm just asking for a friend.

[jman98]

I am speaking on behalf of the moderators and I am not one, but Hollywood thinks that US laws should apply everywhere. Technically speaking, the DMCA makes it illegal for home users to rip and copy their own legally purchased discs. Now neither the RIAA nor the MPAA want to take individual users to court for private use activities that might set what to them is a dangerous precedent like in the infamous Betamax case. They prefer to leave things nebulous and frighten people by going after a few folks, sometimes even in foreign countries. Unfortunately the US government is bought and paid for by special interests and the current administration is ecstatic over the thought of using US clout and even a newly created legal department to go after "pirates" all around the world. So probably out of fear that Hollywood could try to force Videohelp to close, even though it's not a US based website, we can't really encourage or discuss purchasing things of dubious legality.

123 Studios thought they had a way to allow users to legally make their own backup copies of purchased DVDs and comply with the DMCA. They thought wrong. A lawsuit by Hollywood wiped them out. DVDDecrypter's author was given a choice he couldn't refuse in that if he agreed to abandon the product and turn the source code over to a company affiliated with Hollywood, they would agree not to sue him into the poorhouse and he could also avoid a possible jail term. So fears about vengeful entertainment companies using the US courts to beat up others, even people outside the USA (the author of DVDDecrypter isn't even an American), are well founded.

[aedipuss]

wasn't this site hosted at the planet in houston, tx? guess i missed the move to amsterdam.

[deadrats]

want to know the truth why there's a zero tolerance policy in most sites about discussing pirated content? the people that own the sites are worried about potentially being sued for copyright infringement.

let's assume you were allowed to specifically ask about help restoring a pirated video, discussions such as those tend to degenerate; it starts with help in restoring it, then it progresses to help in finding the content in question, then it leads to links to the pirated content and so on.

now let's be honest with ourselves, is there anyone on this site that at some point in the last 15 years or so has never ever acquired a audio or video file from a questionable source, whether it was renting a dvd and making a copy for themselves, downloading from a p2p network like the old napster, downloaded a torrent file from some well known sites or borrowed a friend blu-ray and made a copy? i seriously doubt that anyone here is an angel and the reality of the matter is that most of the guides and tools listed on this site are intended for just such activities.

but by not allowing asking for help with pirated content there is plausible deniability, the admins can show that they have a zero tolerance policy towards pirated content and they can't be sued or have the site taken down for facilitating violating U.S. copyright laws.

and for those wondering why it is U.S. laws apply the answer is simple: the servers that host this site are physically located in the U.S. and the owners of the site probably live in the U.S., which means they are subject to U.S. copyright laws.

the reality is if you have a question about restoring video just ask, no one is going to sit there and put you through the 3rd degree to find out where you got a copy, the answer always is "i bought a legit copy".

[sanlyn]

now let's be honest with ourselves, is there anyone on this site that at some point in the last 15 years or so has never ever acquired a audio or video file from a questionable source, whether it was renting a dvd and making a copy for themselves, downloading from a p2p network like the old napster, downloaded a torrent file from some well known sites or borrowed a friend blu-ray and made a copy?

Who? Moi? Never done it. Don't have time. Besides, I'm not a church goer but I suffer from a severe case since childhood of ACG (Acquired Catholic Guilt).


And unwittingly got burned some time back with a copy of Windows that I discovered was pirateware. Had no problems, but got myself a retail copy and spent 3 days reinstalling.

[DB83]

The benefit of the doubt seems to be the rule of thumb.

However, once a member has, through ignorance or whatever, stated his source he may find it increasingly difficult to get help in the future.

[aedipuss]

jeez some folks just don't listen/read and comprehend how simple it is to get help here for ANY video.

just don't mention the warez file name or how you came to get the video. it really is just that easy. don't tell of your misdeeds and help will be here.

[sanlyn]

Gosh. That's dishonest! For us ACG victims, anyway.

[enim]

This post really looks fanatic and frantic.

it's illegal to buy pirated videos

- Yes, Yes and Yes!
Just, Do Not Buy them, So Simple!
Do Not make Simple Things more Complex.

but it's not illegal to talk about them?

Yesterday, I shooted a live video in which joint attorney of DMCA, MPAA and RIAA was filing a petition in The Superior Court of Los Angeles County requesting a favourable judgement - illegal to talk about them too. The court clerks dump the petition in trash can and replied "Are you out of your mind?". When attorney walked out of the court house, I said "Hi, here is the video". He asked "How much?".
I showed mini-DVD and told it is absolutely FREE (as in a beer)!

But why not allow people to ask for restoration help for stuff that is NOT commercially available such as stuff that only aired on TV that you can't buy in the shops.

Encoded many times, Screwed up already, Nothing much left to restore.
Just read guides and other relevant posts. Or, learn indirect methods for asking like visiting dentist and showing the one which is not paining.

Long back I watched a nice and very beautiful video from National Geography shooted in African Wild Life where three young cheetahs were about to hunt cute baby lion cub and found them surrounded by wild lions from all the side. They learnt the lesson for the rest of life.
Isn't it so funny when hunters get hunted?

[usually_quiet]

I am speaking on behalf of the moderators and I am not one, but Hollywood thinks that US laws should apply everywhere. Technically speaking, the DMCA makes it illegal for home users to rip and copy their own legally purchased discs. Now neither the RIAA nor the MPAA want to take individual users to court for private use activities that might set what to them is a dangerous precedent like in the infamous Betamax case. They prefer to leave things nebulous and frighten people by going after a few folks, sometimes even in foreign countries. Unfortunately the US government is bought and paid for by special interests and the current administration is ecstatic over the thought of using US clout and even a newly created legal department to go after "pirates" all around the world. So probably out of fear that Hollywood could try to force Videohelp to close, even though it's not a US based website, we can't really encourage or discuss purchasing things of dubious legality.

123 Studios thought they had a way to allow users to legally make their own backup copies of purchased DVDs and comply with the DMCA. They thought wrong. A lawsuit by Hollywood wiped them out. DVDDecrypter's author was given a choice he couldn't refuse in that if he agreed to abandon the product and turn the source code over to a company affiliated with Hollywood, they would agree not to sue him into the poorhouse and he could also avoid a possible jail term. So fears about vengeful entertainment companies using the US courts to beat up others, even people outside the USA (the author of DVDDecrypter isn't even an American), are well founded.

You always seem to forget the USA is not alone in this endeavor. The DMCA is the USA's implementation of multinational copyright protection treaties of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) that many other countries also agreed to. Although each country that signed has its own implementation of the treaty they are bound to be similar in some ways to the DMCA.

[enim]

usually_quiet, why did you speak?

The DMCA is the USA's implementation of multinational copyright protection treaties of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) that many other countries also agreed to.

Is it One Way, or Bi-Directional?
Always LuV Bi-directional fair trades with WiN-WiN.

[aedipuss]

Gosh. That's dishonest! For us ACG victims, anyway.

hehe ACG?? -- asian cowgirl

[enim]

hehe ACG?? -- asian cowgirl

aedipuss, there many tribes and variety of AGC.
Does not TAAP-AGC give more pleasure?

Beer party is over. Where did VideoFanatic go? I would like to ..., you know!
---------------------------------------------------------
just trying to divert some heat into FuN.

[usually_quiet]

usually_quiet, why did you speak?

The DMCA is the USA's implementation of multinational copyright protection treaties of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) that many other countries also agreed to.

Is it One Way, or Bi-Directional?
Always LuV Bi-directional fair trades with WiN-WiN.

Of course it is bi-directional. If someone in another county that signed the treaty wanted to file a complaint against someone in the USA for copyright infringement, it possible to do that, assuming they can afford to pay for it.

[Hoser Rob]

So the OP thinks it should be OK to discuss warez and perhaps also expects the participation of real video experts ... who may well make a living working with video ... and who may reasonably not want to participate in a forum full of discussion about pirated files? Get real.

I'm personally not really doctrinaire on the subject but I don't have any sympathy for people having problems with warez. The people who put that stuff out there usually don't have a clue how to encode. I've seen abysmal quality video that had a high bit rate. And there's that pesky security issue ...