ANTDrakko wrote:I know those HK DVDs pass through customs because Animeniacs are a very trustworthy company and like I mentioned before, they have been in business long enough as to if they WERE doing illegal activities, they would have been repremanded a long time ago.
And customs knows the difference between genuine and bootleg DVDs...how? So long as it isn't drugs or weapons or things on their "check for" list, they don't really care what goes through.
This still doesn't change the fact that Animeniacs.com is selling bootleg DVDs, though. While HK bootlegs don't exactly affect the North American anime market that much (especially if they're series that haven't been licensed over here), they do hurt the Asian one badly - and in doing so, they hurt the legitimate anime distributors and producers over there.
So, Animeniacs.com may be trustowrthy - but how trustworthy can they be if they're selling illegitimate products?
ANTDrakko wrote:If you want a more detailed explaination of HK DVDs and videos, goto their site, or if you feel so sure of your own opinion, feel free to e-mail the people at Animeniacs.com.
Ummm....all of those logos by the "Region 0" (read: no region, which is not common outside of the bootleg market) listings are of known bootleggers. My brother has a few DVDS with those logos. The video quality is "meh" and the subtitles are atrocious. And they're not officially licensed versions - just illegal copies.
Compare:
<a href="
http://animeniacs.com/index.php?action= ... 2">Bootleg Trigun</a>, all 26 episodes, 3 discs, region 0, "low" price - all common HK bootleg features. All it's missing is the Chinese subs.
<a href="
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... lance">The official box set</a>. All 26 episodes, 8 discs, region 1, hella expensive.
ANTDrakko wrote:As to why they don't sell HK DVDs at conventions, my guess is that the company that owns the licence recieves more money for their versions then they do for their counterparts. Seriously, many companies do it, just look at AccessMicro.com . They are a division of Northgate, but sell their products cheaper. Like I said, any things you aren't sure of, ask the people at Animeniacs.com . Thanks.
~Seen
Seenage Inc Webmaster/Producer
With all due respect, please pay attention. They don't allow HK DVDs to be sold at cons,
because they're not official releases. They're illegal copies (meaning, not licensed, and hence lacking permission to be copied and distributed through official, legitimate means). It's a legal issue (the con doesn't want to be seen as a bazaar for pirated goods), it's a service issue (the con would rather not have to deal with a quarrel between a seller and a buyer), and it's a moral/philosophical issue (the con, and many anime fans, would rather support the legitimate companies, instead of stealing revenue from them by purchasing bootlegs).
You can use your pirated DVDs, but please don't try to justify it.
I'm out...
Oh well, adios, Ja matta, and good bye.
And you think US customs is gonna stop about stuff made in china, stolen from Japan and brought to the US. Like they'd know or care :l That guy at the flea market selling mod chips says he sents money to sony, IT MUST BE TRUE!!