The Chosen Collection

Discussion in 'General Trek Discussion' started by fatpug, Jan 12, 2008.

  1. fatpug

    fatpug Cadet Newbie

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    Is "The Chosen Collection" of Star Trek DVD sets on Ebay an authorized version? I see several sellers with good feedback but a google search makes me think they are bootleg copies. Does anyone have any experiences with "The Chosen Collection".
     
  2. archeryguy1701

    archeryguy1701 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I have never heard of this "Chosen Collection"... I would say bootleg based on A)the lack of description (unless I'm blind and missed it) and B) the cheap price... nothing from Paramount would possibly be that cheap!
     
  3. Phillip Culley

    Phillip Culley Captain Captain

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    Assuming I'm looking at the same thing, it looks like a bootleg pile of rubbish to me.

    Take a look at his other sets for sale - all of which look fake! For example, surely official sets of Enterprise (and the other series) would use the series logo on it?

    Also, the fact he says next to nothing about what's on the set sets off alarm bells...
     
  4. Michael

    Michael Good Bad Influence Moderator

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    Definitely fake. But interesting how he takes the time to create these fake pics of the box sets.
     
  5. blakbyrd

    blakbyrd Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    "It's a faaaaaaaaaake!" :guffaw:
     
  6. CaptainStoner

    CaptainStoner Knuckle-dragging TNZ Denizen Admiral

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    It's definetly a clever fake, and the ebay sellers know what they're doing to remain ambiguous, and most are willfully ignorant of the issue.
    Actually this was the issue that got me on this board, because I couldn't find definitive information.
    Paramount just lays down and takes it, they don't actively do anything to stop this, so it is ultimately disheartening. I emailed a Paramount guy and got a quick response. He said "could you please send me links to these sites?"
    In other words, the guy doesn't know how to use the internet, or is lazy. I sent him links. He said he would turn them over to the MPAA.
    But he was able to confirm 100 percent that yes these are bootlegs. There is no such thing as a region free Star Trek release, international edition, asian edition, etc. Some of the ebay vendors are so slick as to use stock images of the legit product, and send you the bootleg.
    Avoid them!

    Incidentally I was flagging those sets for a couple of months, getting them pulled from ebay, but ebay doesn't follow up with any teeth, and eventually I had to give up the crusade as it were.
     
  7. Therin of Andor

    Therin of Andor Admiral Moderator

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    Paramount Home Video has no official representative company in that part of Asia that claims to have "regionless" Star Trek episodes/movies.

    My guess is that no legitimate company wants to pay out the money to be an official distributor and have to try to police the rampant bootlegging that goes on there. When the bootleggers claim their product is regionless, what they are trying to say is that their product must be legal because no one in the region holds the license to distribute Star Trek.

    But if a ST DVD sounds way too cheap, then it is a bootleg, and the actors and writers (and Paramount) are not receiving any royalties on the sales of such shoddy product.
     
  8. CaptainStoner

    CaptainStoner Knuckle-dragging TNZ Denizen Admiral

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    What is doubly obnoxious about it in the case of Star Trek season sets, is that I have seen the bootleg sets sell for close to the low on a legit one, like 200 bucks when a legit can be had for 230 with some patience.
     
  9. donners22

    donners22 Commodore Commodore

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    Ah well, I've seen every single Trek book on eBay in electronic form for $5, and despite reporting it repeatedly, they were re-sold for months.
     
  10. CaptainStoner

    CaptainStoner Knuckle-dragging TNZ Denizen Admiral

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    The problem is no one wants to do the work. It takes some tedious work to nick the bootleg DVD sets. Although it would be in Paramounts interest to assign someone to such a task full time, the individuals you talk to don't see that, and think they can just pass the buck to the MPAA. And it's their buck!
    Also there is a general perception that the bootlegging can't be countered, but my experience with ebay is that you can, it just takes time. I was getting 5 to 10 listings shut down a day, just in my spare time. It's not an unsurmountable problem.