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Potential Pirate Problem


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manyme



Joined: 09 Sep 2004
Posts: 9
PostPosted: Sun Oct 03, 2004 10:01 am Reply with quote
I bought the Cowboy Bebop perfect collection DVD 3 disk set from some guy in Utah through e-bay. This is not the cheap Hong-Kong knock-off with the terrible subs, this is the western distribution release with the English-language dub cast.

None-the-less, when I started the first DVD, it launched right into the episode selection screen. No FBI logo. No distributor's logo, even. Even the Hong Kong knock-off has a distributor's logo. Did I recieve pirated software? The art box and disk art looks just like the genuine Perfect collection set is supposed to, however.
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Tiresias



Joined: 14 Aug 2002
Posts: 353
Location: Illinois, USA
PostPosted: Sun Oct 03, 2004 10:19 am Reply with quote
Yes, you bought a bootleg. There is no licensed legal 3-disc version of Bebop. Only 6 discs. What he sold you was a DVD rip off the legal R1 version, that's why you also have the English dub. If you feel strongly enough about it, write him back demanding a refund, threaten him with sending the set with his name, address, and e-bay ID to Bandai if he doesn't. Chances are he'll refund it, if he does, then go ahead and alert Bandai anyway. There is a bit of risk here though, he could just keep it and never send the money. Another thing to do is go back over the listing and make sure that he never tells you it is the legal US version or a 6-disc set. Guys like that are out to do one thing, prey on the unsuspecting and take their money.

Some things to look for in future purchases:

1. Low disc count with a high episode count per disc - 26 episodes on 3 discs is almost guaranteed to be boot.
2. Labeled as all region or R0 - Almost all legal versions here are R1.
3. Different disc count than original release - Do some research n the future and look at reputable sites to find out how many discs were in the original release.
4. Cheap - When you're paying $30 for a full series when buying it at the store would cost you $120, it's a boot.
5. Avoid eBay - 98% of the anime DVD's being sold there are bootlegs. They might say it's the official release or the US version, but most of the time they are lying in order to get you to buy from them. Little things though, they can't say it's the 6-disc release and then send you the 3-disc set, that is fraud. There are a few geniune legit discs out there, but it can be hard to find in all the boots, especially if you don't know what you're looking for.
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manyme



Joined: 09 Sep 2004
Posts: 9
PostPosted: Sun Oct 03, 2004 10:48 am Reply with quote
There are actually quite a few E-bay stores all selling a 3-disk version of Cowboy Bebop on E-bay...its not just one seller. Additionally, the art box matches what is shown on this site right here, and looks just like

THIS


This led me to believe it was a legit version before I bought it. However, your right about the disk count...scrolling all the way to the bottom, I see that there should be 7 disks according to this Amazon link.

However, this means that there are close to a dozen different sellers *all* selling the same 3-disk bootleg series. If you go to E-bay, and do a search on "cowboy bebop perfect collection", you'll see that this is in fact the case.


Last edited by manyme on Sun Oct 03, 2004 11:42 am; edited 1 time in total
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kusanagi-sama



Joined: 22 Aug 2004
Posts: 1723
Location: Wichita Falls, TX
PostPosted: Sun Oct 03, 2004 11:05 am Reply with quote
Ok, there are 6 discs for the 26 episodes, then an extra 2 discs for the Cowboy Bebop Best Sessions. Also there is the 1 DVD for Cowboy Bebop movie.

Your link is also messed up, here is the cleaned up version:
Amazon Link
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manyme



Joined: 09 Sep 2004
Posts: 9
PostPosted: Sun Oct 03, 2004 11:45 am Reply with quote
Ok, I've fixed the link. However, if you look at the link, it says seven disks. It does not specify what those disks are. This is Amazons own declaration. If you have a problem with them listing seven disks, take it up with them.

Here is the detail info from the link pasted in:

# Format: Color, Animated, Box set
# Aspect Ratio(s): 1.33:1
# Audio Encoding: Dolby Digital 2.0
# Rated: NR
# Studio: Pioneer Video
# DVD Release Date: November 20, 2001
# Run Time: 675
# DVD Features:

* Available subtitles: English
* Available Audio Tracks: Japanese (Dolby Digital 2.0), English (Dolby Digital 2.0)
* Original CD soundtrack included
* Interviews with cast and creators
* Session O music video
* Character biography/gallery
* Trailers
* See individual DVDs for complete details
* Number of discs: 7

# From IMDb: Quotes & Trivia
# ASIN: B00005QCW4
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Tiresias



Joined: 14 Aug 2002
Posts: 353
Location: Illinois, USA
PostPosted: Sun Oct 03, 2004 11:51 am Reply with quote
manyme wrote:
However, this means that there are close to a dozen different sellers *all* selling the same 3-disk bootleg series. If you go to E-bay, and do a search on "cowboy bebop perfect collection", you'll see that this is in fact the case.


This would be the main reason I don't shop for my anime on eBay. It seems like everyone out there is trying to sell you bootlegs quicker than you can realize that's what they're doing. And eBay's own policies make it so that they can get away with it.

You can report someone for selling bootlegs, but it takes eBay 4-7 days to investigate. If the auction ends before the investigation is finished, then they immediately close the investigation as unsolvable. So since it takes a minimum of 4 days to complete an investigation, and many bootleg auctions end in 3 days or less, nothing is ever done. I even e-mailed them about this and was told it was just the way the policy is, however they don't agree with the sale of bootlegs and if they can finish an investigation will make sure the offender is prosecuted.

Basically, they have in place a policy against bootlegs and a way to deal with them, but as long as they provide a loophole for bootleg sales, they'll still happily take their cut of the bootleg's price.
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Tiresias



Joined: 14 Aug 2002
Posts: 353
Location: Illinois, USA
PostPosted: Sun Oct 03, 2004 11:53 am Reply with quote
By the way, they say 7 discs, because 7 come in that particular package. Nevermind the fact that 6 of them are DVD's and the 7th is an audio CD soundtrack.
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manyme



Joined: 09 Sep 2004
Posts: 9
PostPosted: Sun Oct 03, 2004 12:11 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
Nevermind the fact that 6 of them are DVD's and the 7th is an audio CD soundtrack.


Lol, thats too funny Laughing

Thanks for all the info, however, especially about how E-bay operates. Leave it to the big corporations to apply the law only at their "convenience" Wink
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Perfectsword



Joined: 30 Aug 2004
Posts: 527
Location: Somewhere in NY
PostPosted: Sun Oct 03, 2004 12:14 pm Reply with quote
I know whatcha talking about.

i own 5 bootlegs. i was pretty crushed when i found out.
but im just going to have to replace them. cept for CB beacuse i'm gunna wait to see if a 5.1 v is released.
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qollocust



Joined: 31 Jul 2003
Posts: 182
Location: Philadelphia
PostPosted: Sun Oct 03, 2004 1:16 pm Reply with quote
Looking at those Amazon sites, those sellers also claim to be selling that product as a 3-disc "import" set.
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qollocust



Joined: 31 Jul 2003
Posts: 182
Location: Philadelphia
PostPosted: Sun Oct 03, 2004 1:20 pm Reply with quote
Looking at those Amazon sites, those sellers also claim to be selling that product as a 3-disc "import" set.
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darkhunter



Joined: 13 May 2004
Posts: 2992
Location: Los Angelas
PostPosted: Sun Oct 03, 2004 1:57 pm Reply with quote
Yup, "import" hk dvd (r1 rip) are just basically 2 R1 rip and put onto one. That doesn't mean the quality don't suffer, or additional audio (5.1 or DTS) being taken out. Audio sometimes become out of sync. Graphical glitches appear. In the end, even though it's a dvdrip, it will never be good as the original.

What can you do about it? Probably nothing. Only way to stop ebay is lower the price of R1 DVD. For example, Full Metal Panic (ADV) and Rahxephon (ADV) on ebay are mostly R1 because people were selling it for around 8 dollar a disc. But this is almost impossible.

The retail forum has a lot of discussion on bootleg:
animenewsnetwork.com/bbs/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=7615

and recently:
animenewsnetwork.com/bbs/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=9756
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Perfectsword



Joined: 30 Aug 2004
Posts: 527
Location: Somewhere in NY
PostPosted: Sun Oct 03, 2004 3:00 pm Reply with quote
look, the only thing you can do is watch out for the boots, make sure you're buying from a wellknown company like barnes and nobles, and.....all you really have to do is....buy the expensive dvds.
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darkhunter



Joined: 13 May 2004
Posts: 2992
Location: Los Angelas
PostPosted: Sun Oct 03, 2004 3:09 pm Reply with quote
Perfectsword wrote:
all you really have to do is....buy the expensive dvds.


Why go to barnes and nobel and pay full retail price, when you can get it cheap at deepdiscountdvd.
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one3rd



Joined: 28 Jul 2003
Posts: 1818
Location: アメリカ
PostPosted: Sun Oct 03, 2004 3:33 pm Reply with quote
Perfectsword wrote:
look, the only thing you can do is watch out for the boots, make sure you're buying from a wellknown company like barnes and nobles, and.....all you really have to do is....buy the expensive dvds.



I've actually gotten a lot of legit anime on eBay. All of Nadesico, Trigun, and Evangelion and a few others too. It was usually one disc at a time though.
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