A bootleg is the unauthorized and illegal reproduction of an original work, most notably movies and music. Back in the day, bootlegs were created by copying cassettes or VHS tapes, resulting in poor sound and video quality, but sold for next to nothing.
Once CDs came around, along with the technology for digital recording, CDs could be duplicated and resold with no loss in quality. If the graphics could be successfully copied, it was often hard to tell the bootleg from the real thing.
Same goes for movies. Bootleg DVDs, with quality picture and sound, are hitting the streets almost on the same day the movie is released theatrically (a far cry from the days when somebody would sit in back of a theatre with a camcorder and record the movie, crying babies and all). Again, bootlegged DVDs may have a quality that is every bit as good as the official release.
So why are bootlegs bad? It's simple, the manufacturing and selling of bootlegged material effectively robs the creators of that movie or album from income that is rightfully theirs. By participating in the bootleg industry, you are effectively stealing property that does not belong to you.
This is why every DVD movie is prefaced with a strongly worded warning against resale, copying, editing, or otherwise using the product in a manner that is not compliant with copyright law. You can't show a DVD movie in your home and charge admission. Nor can you make copies of the latest Black Eyed Peas CD and sell them. Such actions carry with them some penalties that are somewhat on the stiff side, with fines of up to $250,000 along with jail time.
Unfortunately, we live in an age of internet, where far too many people believe they are entitled to something for free. As a result, not only movies and music, but expensive computer software can be found illegally in bootleg form. As a result, don't expect the bootleg industry to fold any time soon.
There are some things you can do to combat the problem, however. Firstly, don't purchase bootlegged movies or music. It's as simple as that. CD/DVD prices have come down significantly, and brand new titles are readily available. There are also used CD/DVD stores, where you can often find recent titles for even less, and you're still not breaking the law.
Two, don't hesitate to turn in people who are engaged in the manufacture and selling of such products. You can report piracy to the Motion Picture Association Of American by going to http://www.mpaa.org/ReportPiracy.asp. They will take appropriate action to seek out and prosecute those involved.
And before you get involved with it yourself, remember that what you are doing is illegal. Is it really worth jail time and a hefty fine just for the privilege of watching SCREAM 4 before it hits DVD store shelves? I think not.
Do the right thing and allow the creators of these works to continue to reap the reward for their efforts. We may not be able to stop bootlegging, but we can cut down on it a good bit.
Once CDs came around, along with the technology for digital recording, CDs could be duplicated and resold with no loss in quality. If the graphics could be successfully copied, it was often hard to tell the bootleg from the real thing.
Same goes for movies. Bootleg DVDs, with quality picture and sound, are hitting the streets almost on the same day the movie is released theatrically (a far cry from the days when somebody would sit in back of a theatre with a camcorder and record the movie, crying babies and all). Again, bootlegged DVDs may have a quality that is every bit as good as the official release.
So why are bootlegs bad? It's simple, the manufacturing and selling of bootlegged material effectively robs the creators of that movie or album from income that is rightfully theirs. By participating in the bootleg industry, you are effectively stealing property that does not belong to you.
This is why every DVD movie is prefaced with a strongly worded warning against resale, copying, editing, or otherwise using the product in a manner that is not compliant with copyright law. You can't show a DVD movie in your home and charge admission. Nor can you make copies of the latest Black Eyed Peas CD and sell them. Such actions carry with them some penalties that are somewhat on the stiff side, with fines of up to $250,000 along with jail time.
Unfortunately, we live in an age of internet, where far too many people believe they are entitled to something for free. As a result, not only movies and music, but expensive computer software can be found illegally in bootleg form. As a result, don't expect the bootleg industry to fold any time soon.
There are some things you can do to combat the problem, however. Firstly, don't purchase bootlegged movies or music. It's as simple as that. CD/DVD prices have come down significantly, and brand new titles are readily available. There are also used CD/DVD stores, where you can often find recent titles for even less, and you're still not breaking the law.
Two, don't hesitate to turn in people who are engaged in the manufacture and selling of such products. You can report piracy to the Motion Picture Association Of American by going to http://www.mpaa.org/ReportPiracy.asp. They will take appropriate action to seek out and prosecute those involved.
And before you get involved with it yourself, remember that what you are doing is illegal. Is it really worth jail time and a hefty fine just for the privilege of watching SCREAM 4 before it hits DVD store shelves? I think not.
Do the right thing and allow the creators of these works to continue to reap the reward for their efforts. We may not be able to stop bootlegging, but we can cut down on it a good bit.