WARNING - PHUKET
Aug 15th, 2004, 08:07 AM
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WARNING - PHUKET
Today I returned from a wonderful trip to Siem Reap and Phi Phi islands. I bought some DVD piracy copies at Patong Beach (100 baths each) and they all have poor image quality. I advise everyone not to buy DVD's in Thailand.
Aug 15th, 2004, 09:25 AM
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If you buy any pirate DVD of a movie that has just hit the cinema there is a very good chance that it will be either from someone who filmed it in the cinema or will be from an Oscar Preview Copy and will have "warnings " flashing across the screen - either of which will take some getting used to.
If you are going to buy cheap DVD's from a street vendor etc, I usually find the DVDs of films that are widely available in the shops
If you are going to buy cheap DVD's from a street vendor etc, I usually find the DVDs of films that are widely available in the shops
Aug 15th, 2004, 09:29 AM
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are the better quality. At 100 Baht this works out about 10th of what I pay for a genuine DVD in the UK. I don't really think you can moan too much when some of them don't work.
I also found (particularly in KL) that the shop vendors will allow you to exchange faulty DVD's (they cost about 3 times the street vendor price) but the street vendors will not.
I also found (particularly in KL) that the shop vendors will allow you to exchange faulty DVD's (they cost about 3 times the street vendor price) but the street vendors will not.
Aug 15th, 2004, 09:51 AM
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And the same logic can be applied to fake Rolexes, fake T Shirts , fake Louis Vuiton Luggage, fake guicci sunglasses - and high percentage of everything found on a Night Market in Asia.
Yes we all know you're not supposed to do it and that technically it is taking by theft. But if the police don't enforce it (which they rarely seem to do) and the customs officers ignore the odd 1 or 2 DVDs or a fake watch, which they regularly do - then is it surprising people do it?
In many ways the film companies have market driven the pirating business with the regionalising of DVDs particularly for those of us in the infamous Region 2 zone (Western Europe and Japan).
Would I bother buying an illegally pirated DVD, knowing I can pick it up, legally for a a few pounds extra at home, with the peace of mind that if it doesn't work I could take it back? - would I heck.
Yes we all know you're not supposed to do it and that technically it is taking by theft. But if the police don't enforce it (which they rarely seem to do) and the customs officers ignore the odd 1 or 2 DVDs or a fake watch, which they regularly do - then is it surprising people do it?
In many ways the film companies have market driven the pirating business with the regionalising of DVDs particularly for those of us in the infamous Region 2 zone (Western Europe and Japan).
Would I bother buying an illegally pirated DVD, knowing I can pick it up, legally for a a few pounds extra at home, with the peace of mind that if it doesn't work I could take it back? - would I heck.
Aug 16th, 2004, 03:29 AM
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Walter
It may not be surprising people do it, That's why we have laws. But for someone to do it and then complain, really makes me shake my head in wonder.
If someone was stealing his livelyhood I'm sure you would hear him complain.
It may not be surprising people do it, That's why we have laws. But for someone to do it and then complain, really makes me shake my head in wonder.
If someone was stealing his livelyhood I'm sure you would hear him complain.
Aug 16th, 2004, 07:21 AM
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lol speek about bootleg DVD's and hell breaks loos but giving advice on where too buy fake LV bags is OK..
anyways just bought fake CIV 3 game 100baht. it works better then the orignal I bought (had bug in it)..
im just a filthy litle thief...
I think thailand ranked 5th in pirated goods in the world.
anyways just bought fake CIV 3 game 100baht. it works better then the orignal I bought (had bug in it)..
im just a filthy litle thief...
I think thailand ranked 5th in pirated goods in the world.
Aug 17th, 2004, 12:32 PM
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Let me play devil's advocate on the issue of Fakes. My wife enjoys buying them and giving them to friends and relatives- of course we tell them that they are fakes. The quality is not up to snuff, but then again for the price one does not expect that. Then again is a vinyl Louie Vuitton handbag really worth several hundred dollars (you think at that price you would at least get quality leather!).
Yes I suppose counterfeiting is wrong, but since these designers price their products out of reach of so many people, the fakes serve to give some enjoyment to those that can ill afford the real deal. Maybe if the designers would bring their prices down to earth more people could afford to buy their products and the demand for the fakes would diminish.
In the end I don't think we will see many designers on the bread lines as a result of the fakes being on the market.
How does the saying go.... imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!
Yes I suppose counterfeiting is wrong, but since these designers price their products out of reach of so many people, the fakes serve to give some enjoyment to those that can ill afford the real deal. Maybe if the designers would bring their prices down to earth more people could afford to buy their products and the demand for the fakes would diminish.
In the end I don't think we will see many designers on the bread lines as a result of the fakes being on the market.
How does the saying go.... imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!
Aug 17th, 2004, 01:22 PM
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When films have budgets of over $100 million dollars - and Hollywood stars are paid staggering sums to appear in them - and with the major blockbusters (the sort of films that are pirated) making sometimes over a billion dollars for their makers - should we be feeling sorry for them. They will gladly sell me a copy of the DVD for £20 in the UK, and yet will also sell it legally in the far east for £8 (a comparison between the HMV in London and the HMV in Hong Kong for the same film). I find it very hard to feel sorry for the major film studios, whilst this is allowed to happen, particularly when they install software on the Hong Kong disk so I can't play it at home in the UK!
As for designers, such as Louis Vuiton, yes they price their goods out of the reach of so many people for one good reason - exclusivity, exclusivity that people need to emblazen across their luggage (or clothing) in order to presumably declare "i'm somebody". And by being exclusive you can charge even more money and so on and so on. This all works wonderfully until people start to pirate your clothes or more likely your logos, then all of a sudden any johnny-come-lately can wear your product for the cost of a beer and the value of your image is damaged. I sometime refer to this as the Burberry cap effect.
or why, If you wear an Oyster Rolex people will usually someone assume it is a fake. Yet if here a Patek Phillipe they will not.
This is why established designers hate hate hate piracy.
When the elite status of the designers wear is threatened this is serious news time - this was a major problem for Tommy Hillfiger a few years back.
For my money some of the best quality designer wear money can buy for men is by Emangilado Zegna. I have yet to see any fake Zegna on a market stall (it's probably there somewhere buried under the Polo and Lacoste stuff - but i've never seen it)And Why? Because they don't emblazen their products with logos, so there is little or no demand. Why buy a fake of something few people have heard of or will recognise, and if there isn't a market for the fake, they won't copy it!
The key, in my opinion, to reducing piracy, if that's what you want, particularly in relation to DVDs,is to
(a) reduce the reason to buy Pirate copies by investing in anti piracy software and allowing free trade in DVDs by removing the regions.
(b) make it so if you buy, sell or import a fake you face a real risk of getting done by the police or customs. Most people have at one time or another bought a fake DVD / CD. Most people have not however walked into their local HMV and stole a DVD - reason - you know there is a very good chance you will be chased down the street, caught and prosecuted. If piracy laws are not enforced you shouldn't be surprised when people break them.
As for designers, such as Louis Vuiton, yes they price their goods out of the reach of so many people for one good reason - exclusivity, exclusivity that people need to emblazen across their luggage (or clothing) in order to presumably declare "i'm somebody". And by being exclusive you can charge even more money and so on and so on. This all works wonderfully until people start to pirate your clothes or more likely your logos, then all of a sudden any johnny-come-lately can wear your product for the cost of a beer and the value of your image is damaged. I sometime refer to this as the Burberry cap effect.
or why, If you wear an Oyster Rolex people will usually someone assume it is a fake. Yet if here a Patek Phillipe they will not.
This is why established designers hate hate hate piracy.
When the elite status of the designers wear is threatened this is serious news time - this was a major problem for Tommy Hillfiger a few years back.
For my money some of the best quality designer wear money can buy for men is by Emangilado Zegna. I have yet to see any fake Zegna on a market stall (it's probably there somewhere buried under the Polo and Lacoste stuff - but i've never seen it)And Why? Because they don't emblazen their products with logos, so there is little or no demand. Why buy a fake of something few people have heard of or will recognise, and if there isn't a market for the fake, they won't copy it!
The key, in my opinion, to reducing piracy, if that's what you want, particularly in relation to DVDs,is to
(a) reduce the reason to buy Pirate copies by investing in anti piracy software and allowing free trade in DVDs by removing the regions.
(b) make it so if you buy, sell or import a fake you face a real risk of getting done by the police or customs. Most people have at one time or another bought a fake DVD / CD. Most people have not however walked into their local HMV and stole a DVD - reason - you know there is a very good chance you will be chased down the street, caught and prosecuted. If piracy laws are not enforced you shouldn't be surprised when people break them.
Aug 17th, 2004, 05:22 PM
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Some practical advice on DVDs in SE Asia:
Buy only "DVD 9" copies (Should have a round stamp on the lable with a 9 in the center).
These are the ones that don't have peoples' heads popping up in front of the pirate's handicam.
DVD 5 can be OK, but the sound quality is a bit of a risk.
-Craig, AKA "Yellow Beard"
Buy only "DVD 9" copies (Should have a round stamp on the lable with a 9 in the center).
These are the ones that don't have peoples' heads popping up in front of the pirate's handicam.
DVD 5 can be OK, but the sound quality is a bit of a risk.
-Craig, AKA "Yellow Beard"
