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Bootleg CDs?




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Amethyst Alchemist
Former ANN Editor


Joined: 02 Jan 2007
Posts: 312
Location: where it's always a good morning
PostPosted: Mon Sep 10, 2007 9:25 pm Reply with quote
Anyone ever encounter these? I don't think I have. I just ordered some CDs for an outstanding price, which makes me nervous. I got them from whom I consider a reputable seller. There are a few CDs listed on eBay for a crazy price too. The pics look legit. But they are from Hong Kong *shudders*.

It's easy to tell a bootleg DVD, but CDs, I don't know. Anyone know if bootleg CDs are common. The CDs I already got have no signs of bootleg I can see. Some of them just appear to be 1st press printing, so they have a special sleeve on the outside. I looked at the art for the CDs, and it matches reputable site pics, so I'm sure most of the art is legit.

Any pointers for being sure they are not bootleg? I'm just very nervous about anything from Hong Kong. Is there a maybe an illegit way they might be getting the discs, while still being legit discs that allows them to sell them so cheaply (in the US of A or China)? Any input would be greatly appreciated.
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Meson



Joined: 28 Jun 2002
Posts: 219
Location: Buffalo, NY
PostPosted: Mon Sep 10, 2007 9:49 pm Reply with quote
Bootleg CDs are sometimes easier to spot that bootledg DVDs.

You need to provide more information. Gives us the title, the music label, etc.

Usually, the best way to spot a bootleg is the label. Bands are emplyed by one and only one label at any given time, and these label relationships are often listed with the artists' own info.

For anime, check the encyclopedia and other anime music sites. Again, check the label. The label of the CD should match the label the anime production company contracted.

If the label is correct, then the CD is usually good, unless it looks repackaged. It could still be stolen merchadice, so always use a shop you can trust or can verify their legallity.
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Amethyst Alchemist
Former ANN Editor


Joined: 02 Jan 2007
Posts: 312
Location: where it's always a good morning
PostPosted: Mon Sep 10, 2007 11:03 pm Reply with quote
Can't believe it didn't even occur to me to check the label Anime smile + sweatdrop ! Thanks.

And for the reference of others, I just looked something up:

AVOID MIYA RECORDS! See Wikipedia

And another "label" sometimes used designates cds with KO-(five numbers here) code to look official.

And another note: Brand new and factory sealed! (sometimes with: !!!!!!!!!!!) usually = illegally crafted and a total rip-off, unless they say "not a bootleg"
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Tony K.
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Joined: 18 Nov 2003
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Location: Frisco, TX
PostPosted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 10:05 am Reply with quote
Bootleg CDs are very common, actually. I bought dozens of them back in the day before discovering what bootlegs even were (as well as DVDs). As Meson mentioned, the label is probably the easiest way to check. If you look here, they have a list of some of the major CD bootlegging companies.

But in addition to the label, another good measuring tool would be the price. A lot of times on eBay, most bootleg CDs will usually sell for around $10 or less. Typically, imported CDs from Japan are sold around $25+. Legit U.S. CDs normally have a retail of about $15 dollars, but you should be able to notice those pretty easily by the brand name anyway (mostly Geneon and Bandai for the OSTs, and Tofu Records for a lot of the Japanese bands and artists).
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Zoe



Joined: 05 Jul 2003
Posts: 898
Location: Austin
PostPosted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 3:32 pm Reply with quote
Note that most J-pop acts do have overseas distributors based in other parts of Asia (Taiwan and maybe Korea now are the biggest). The prices of those will be in the mid-high teens.
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kizzmequik_74



Joined: 06 May 2007
Posts: 302
Location: QC, Philippines
PostPosted: Thu Sep 20, 2007 10:10 pm Reply with quote
Hmm.. Out where I live, bootleg CDs make up the vast majority of anime soundtracks you can find. These bootlegs are actually quite convincing at first glance, shrink-wrapped in nice, official-looking boxes, but, as mentioned below, prices in the $10 range is a possible cause for worry. It's even messier here, since most legit CDs for foreign artists just cost around $10, while legit local CDs run from $4-$6. I wouldnt' even dare to guess as to how many fans were roped in by those bootleg discs here. Mad
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animebrainyanic



Joined: 13 Jul 2006
Posts: 213
PostPosted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 7:32 am Reply with quote
kizzmequik_74 wrote:
Hmm.. Out where I live, bootleg CDs make up the vast majority of anime soundtracks you can find. These bootlegs are actually quite convincing at first glance, shrink-wrapped in nice, official-looking boxes


What place out here on where you live that distribute bootlegged CDs mainly anime soundtracks? I tend to distinguish and try to look one of those, or is it in pirate. How come there are official-looking boxes? You mean it's on 168?
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ingram_pilot



Joined: 04 May 2007
Posts: 66
Location: Ottawa, Canada
PostPosted: Thu Nov 22, 2007 5:00 pm Reply with quote
Amethyst Alchemist wrote:

Any pointers for being sure they are not bootleg?

Here's a couple of things I've learned. I'll elaborate on the hints of a couple other people to avoid repeating stuff that's already been said.

Meson wrote:

For anime, check the encyclopedia and other anime music sites. Again, check the label.

Specifically, I'd suggest going to www.CDJapan.co.jp. For every CD, they list the product number on the CD's info page. If the CD isn't from an American label, just look it up and compare the number on the website with the number on the spine of your CD jewel case.

If you can't find the CD on CDJapan, it usually means one of 2 things.
    1-The CD has been out of print for so long that CDJapan removed it from their catalog (We're talking about 5+ years). In this case, your CD might be a bootleg, but it might also be a legit copy that's been in the US for a while. It happens quite often that anime related goods imported from Japan are still available in North America and Europe for years after they've been discontinued in Japan.
    2-The CD was entirely created by a bootlegging company. They take a bunch of songs from other CDs, an make their own. This is rare, but sometimes happens with "best of" compilations. I've seen a best of Gundam Seed that had all the songs from the original CD, plus the singles that had been published separately. I've also seen a best of Gundam Wing that was in fact a direct merging or 2 drama CDs.
In both of these cases you'll have to do more research if you really want to know.


Tony K. wrote:
If you look here, they have a list of some of the major CD bootlegging companies.

Robert's Anime Corner Store also has a good bootleg info page. It lists various bootleg labels; some of which aren't mentionned in the link above (in the quote). It also lists some DVD bootleggers and even lists a few legitimate labels, with the prefixes from their product codes.


Hope this helps.
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ghostphase310



Joined: 28 Nov 2007
Posts: 1
PostPosted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 1:19 pm Reply with quote
Just spend the money and buy the dvd and cds!


steve
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Amethyst Alchemist
Former ANN Editor


Joined: 02 Jan 2007
Posts: 312
Location: where it's always a good morning
PostPosted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 11:55 pm Reply with quote
ghostphase310 wrote:
Just spend the money and buy the dvd and cds!


Huh? That's the whole point! From the start I made this thread to talk about buying legitimate cds instead of illegal downloads or bootleg cds. The point is to be able to identify the good ones as opposed to illegal ones. And this thread isn't about dvds at all . . . sigh . . .
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TheAnimeJudge



Joined: 19 Jan 2008
Posts: 85
Location: WORST TOPIC MAKER =D in Chicago!
PostPosted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 12:46 pm Reply with quote
When it comes to bootleg cd's the closest i can think of a "bootleg" cd, is to DL the whole soundtrack from somewhere online... xD
and when ti comes to dvd... well movies in the USA come out.. and people go film em, illegally spread em online, thats bootleg too.. >o>...
and if someone goes tot he trouble of copying all of that, cd's and dvd's in bootleg, and selling them at private markets... well good luck to him/her... xD
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