Re: Copyright & The New World Economic Order

On 31/07/99, Jon Noring <noring[_at_]netcom.com> wrote:
>
> On Fri, 30 Jul 1999, Albert Henderson <noblestation[_at_]compuserve.com> wrote:
> >
> > Enforcement is often based on a complaint. Last week a
> > local flea market was raided. Hundreds of pirate videotapes
> > were seized. Maybe that "FBI" warning on commercial tapes
> > is real.
>

[snip]
>
> Your blind glee that the raids you described took place really
> troubles me, Albert.

Maybe moral superiority, but not blind glee. I am troubled that people believe it is OK to steal and openly sell obviously stolen property in a public place.

The type of pirate tapes being sold were, I believe, mastered by amateurs with video cameras in movie theatres. Reproduction was probably done by cabling two VCRs. They supply shaky pictures and sound compromised by audience noise etc. on top of poor quality dubbing. I would not be surprised to learn that the complaint that spurred the raid came from some poor consumer who purchased this bad product and had no other recourse but to call the state attorney general.

The moral is that new technology in the hands of amateurs does not guarantee professional standards. Piracy hurts consumers as well as copyright owners and investors.

Albert Henderson
Editor, PUBLISHING RESEARCH QUARTERLY
<70244.1532[_at_]compuserve.com> Received on Tue Aug 03 1999 - 13:15:34 GMT