Now that F/x has been caught

[Arachnid]

I hope this isn't the end for FX, i buy both HK and R1's and R2's but i'm collecting inuyasha from FX and i need to complete my collection..... haha, they must return....

I have mainly FX HK's and i've been very happy with them, R1s are good and i prefer getting them, as lots of people have said its supporting the publishers like ADV who in turn support the anime studio's. I do believe that the dvd's are quite pricey but i do agree that it is an expensive business buying licenses and things, maybe if we had double the eps or move the ep count to 6 per dvd. At the moment i don't mind buying R1's with 4 eps but i do think 3 per dvd is a little harsh for i dunno in $ but in the uk its around £14.99. Ha infact i have to import anyway, things like Inuyasha haven't even started to be released here or rurouni kenshin for that matter :eek: which is a CRIME!!!

Anyway i hope FX survive....

[rav96]

yep i agree we have so little R2 anime's to choose from so its either get R1's or HKs and i get a mix of both! HKs mainly for the larger series and the ones ive not seen yet but heard goos stuff about

[8 Drunken Stylz]

Damn, can we stop deviating into rip vs legit debate and stick to the topic at hand.

My mate was in HK/Mainland about 9 months ago and he bought back a stack of ripped DVDs (US films & anime) and music CDs. They all had a single little round holes in them. All the CDs played fine and so did about ¾ of the DVDs. Apparently, what happened was the Police busted a guy with a pretty big warehouse and when ?destroying? the goods they just lined up a spindle full of discs and shot them at point blank range. I imagine that the top few were totally buggered but because they used a low calibre firearm like a .22 the rest survived almost unscathed. *Somehow* the discs then found their way back into the street markets.

And that?s the story of why I own nine copies of Public Enemy?s It Takes A Nation of Millions.



Anyway, the actual point I?m trying to make is that these raids on knockoff goods (both mainland and HK) are basically little more than lip service to the international community. See my previous post in the now locked thread about why it?s not in China?s economy?s interest to curb bootlegging in any way, shape or form.

I sure hope Flora comes back though, FX offers a superior product for sure.

[gubi-gubi]

If he did get caught what sentence would he be looking at? Is it considered a major crime down there? How many years?

[Cidien]

Possibly around 10+ years in jail, or might just let him off with a pathetic fine.

[CrayonShinChan]

Anyway, the actual point I?m trying to make is that these raids on knockoff goods (both mainland and HK) are basically little more than lip service to the international community. See my previous post in the now locked thread about why it?s not in China?s economy?s interest to curb bootlegging in any way, shape or form.

Why then has piracy in Hong Kong decreased so much? While there are places which spring back up again and again, compared to 10 years ago sold pirates has decreased alot.

The Chinese authorities are quick to act in mainland China when it is big local brands that are being knocked-off if they receive some motivation, ie Li Ning sport brand. (Yes i almost choked to death when i heard they were actually being bootlegged, somewhat of an achievement for them!)

--------------

While FX are officially closed, bootleggers are like Phoenix.

[evilomar]

I have been watching anime for 20 years now, and the first bootleg I bought was Nausicca, back in 1989. I have been playing videogames for 17+ years and the first bootleg game I bought was a chinese version of Super Mario 3 for the NES. I have been buying movies from overseas for over 15 years now, I guess my point is piracy will always exist, as long as there are cheapass people in the world, such as myself (because I will be the first to tell you that I am a fucking cheapass, but I am 26, and I can buy whatever the fuck I want), but isn't that why we are all in this HK import forum, because we are cheapasses? Of course there are some members that are an exeption. So this whole thing with FX getting busted, they will be back, probably under a different name. But if you are complaining that you need to complete your FX anime set, go and buy the R1s. I didn't know that piracy in Hong Kong had decreased, you just have to know where to go and who to talk to. I agree with rarnom about everyone just needing to relax, bootlegs were here before you were and they will be here long after you die.

[gubi-gubi]

Yeh it's not like it's the end of cheap anime for everyone... If HKs stop just download. Even with slow speeds you can still get stuff if you are patient. Even if all the well-known HK companies go down hill then another will pop up... Anyone remember that guy who was over at AN going on about the people he gets his DVD?s off? He was saying they rip 1-1 copies on dvd-9 and just add subs with no compression. He said they were cheaper than other hks as well and were more popular in china (I think he hated MI for ripping people off). Might of been lying buy maybe they will come popular? Maybe even sites will start getting mainland rips and sell them for cheap as hell. Might as well seeing how MAC is going DVD-5 now with no price difference....