BOOTLEG DVDs

[CaptainStoner]

Hi folks, Captain Stoner here, ISS Vertigo ~

I wanted to start another thread on this so that it comes up easier in visual scanning, with BOOTLEG in the title in case people mistook my other thread for something to do with the Borg.
I've been annoyed by the lack of clear information on Trek Bootlegs, and in all my searching only came up with one very good thread on how to spot fake Star Trek DVDs in an ebay forum.
The newer bootlegs I keep seeing on a variety of websites all claim to be licensed, legal, releases intended for Asia Pacific. Probably a lot of Trekkies have bought them, but I don't see a lot of feedback about it.

Anyway, for any who are wondering about the green/silver, "region-free" "Asian edition" "Chosen Collection" Star Trek DVD sets, I now know for 100% certain that they are, as suspected, completely bootleg. I know this because I sent some links with images of them to someone at Paramount, and got a quick response. Sadly I don't get the impression that they are being very proactive about this, but are referring those who sell these to the MPAA for further investigation.
Don't buy the bootlegs! If you do you are putting a good chunk of money right in the hands of international criminal organizations, and possibly even funding things like hard drug trade and human trafficking (slavery) !

I don't quite understand how to post images here, and my Science Officer is on vacation, but again these are the silver and green boxes containing all 7 seasons for 120-180 dollars.

Peace Out

 

[Therin of Andor]

CaptainStoner said:
I've been annoyed by the lack of clear information on Trek Bootlegs

It the price sounds too good to be true, it's a bootleg. Easy!

My old post still applies.

 

[CaptainStoner]

The price difference between the low on a legit set and a bootleg can be as low as $50 - generally closer to $100. Not a huge difference. Ad to that the use of the Paramount logo, the fact that the sites swear up and down that these are legal, the newer bootlegs aren't using Chinese text anywhere, and you have a good number of people being fooled.
Just doing my part, Admiral.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

If people want more Star Trek, give your money to the people who will be funding it in the future - the people who own the brand.

Chinese bootlegs won't get you more Star Trek. Make your dollars count and send a message that Trek is still lucrative.

However, if anyone runs across something frakking hilarious like The Backstroke of the West, definitely post it!

 

[CaptainStoner]

Anyone found to be selling bootleg DVDs at conventions will be subject to the dreaded Vulcan Wedgie. No one is ever right again after one of those, even with the hormone replacement therapy...

 

[Smiley]

The legitimate products are Region 1, 2, or 4, and they should ship from the appropriate country. There is no such thing as a legitimate "region-free" Trek release or an official Asian release. Common sense is all it takes to avoid the bootlegs and buy the real products.

 

[CaptainStoner]

Bootlegs are not of the body.

 

[Leroy]

I find if the auction or seller states that it's a "region 0 import" or an "asian collectors edition" don't bother it's a fake.

 

[Spider]

I got burnt on some bootleg The Invaders DVDs, and I’m not sure what I’m upset at more, my stupidity or the fact it’s so easy to buy this stuff on the internet. You know, it’s really easy to see they were bootlegs when the SciFi channel logo is appearing in the bottom right of your screen.

 

[Who_Trek]

Smiley said:
The legitimate products are Region 1, 2, or 4, and they should ship from the appropriate country. There is no such thing as a legitimate "region-free" Trek release or an official Asian release. Common sense is all it takes to avoid the bootlegs and buy the real products.

On the other hand, bootleg or not, the DVDs are at least region-free. Trekkies in countries other than 1, 2, and 4 are SOL.

 

[Brolan]

Who_Trek said:

Smiley said:
The legitimate products are Region 1, 2, or 4, and they should ship from the appropriate country. There is no such thing as a legitimate "region-free" Trek release or an official Asian release. Common sense is all it takes to avoid the bootlegs and buy the real products.

On the other hand, bootleg or not, the DVDs are at least region-free. Trekkies in countries other than 1, 2, and 4 are SOL.

Not really, you can use your computer DVD player and set the region to whatever you want.

 

[Salinga]

So far all the DVD players I bought could be set to region free with some key combinations on the remote control.

 

[Trekwatcher]

Do the asian bootlegs have poor picture quality or other problems? These are all over eBay, often in the $99 range, so you can see why they would be selling so briskly.

 

[Therin of Andor]

^ Sometimes the picture/sound colour is bad. People complain the credits are often cut off, the closed captioning is wrong, and too much digital info is crammed into single layer discs. Often the box art/text is riddled with errors.

 

[CaptainStoner]

Efforts to get the "Asian Editions" kicked off ebay seem to be making some headway. They keep popping up, and every so often I turn them in. I must not be the only one doing it, though, for instance there are currently no fake DS9's on ebay, I was only doing TNG.
The whole thing seems kind of silly though that it ends up being the fans doing this work. I'm convinced that bootlegs like these aren't impossible to stamp out (in large numbers if not completely), it just seems that the people who are being ripped off don't want to do the work, or don't think that they can. Like it is with most big companies, pass the buck if at all possible.