Most of the DVD silvers around are shipped in from Asia - from companies and outfits like i-zero... http://come.to/iz
From what I`ve been told (100% reliable sources) the DVD silvers from this company are near-perfect DVD-quality releases. Most peeps on the street wouldn`t know the difference. They rarely feature the multiple commentary audio tracks (Directors commentary, etc.) but usually have every other feature the official releases have.
They are illegal. How else are you going to get Unbreakable on DVD?
If you join the membership board forum they have (much like this board) and read some of the posts, you can quickly get an idea of what sort of company they are and how well they treat their customers. (Very well from all accounts).
Again, totally illegal, most of the time... From time to time some distributors - in order to prevent the instant $1 piracy of ANY and EVERY film in Asia as soon as the film hits the cinema - release the film very quickly through offical channels right out onto DVD/VCD. So if you import an OFFICAL copy - from http://www.coolvcds.com - for example - you can often get away with it. After all, there is nothing illegal about that copy. Note, this RARELY happens with DVD`s. More often it`s the VCD`s.
Recent examples of quick DVD releases - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (a flop in China) - and `In the Mood for Love`. Both out in China/Japan/Pacific Rim to buy on DVD in any airport.
The importing of DVD silvers is not easy, but it`s far from impossible. The silvers look IDENTICAL to offical releases; full shrinkwrap, plastic boxes, laser printed sleeves, artwork. When they come through customs and the boxes are opened, the titles `look` official enough, shrinkwrapped and in proper boxes et all. This helps them get away with simply being `imports of official Asian releases`......
You ask your supplier in Hong Kong, Singapore, etc., to `label` them as, for example, `Official Asian/International film releases - press use`. When the supervisor in Manchester/London at Customs and Imports reads that, he/she is being told they are OFFICAL copies intended - in this example - as copies for the press/trades to review to allow them to watch a film yet to be released in the UK, etc. That`s one example. You also list a `warehouse` address... Not `Mr Smith, 4 Avesbury Avenue`.
You`ll still get hammered with import tax, but they won`t be confiscated... unless you have a tech guy on duty who knows what to look for... or you`ve tried to import 1000.
This is not Uncle Joe down the car boot sale selling black video boxes with poor 2-bit b&w photocopy sleeves. This is a very large, very profitable industry.
As far as `getting away with selling illegal s*** like this`... If your product is sellable (of reasonable quality) - and there is a man outside the door willing to pay...
No different from selling slaves or cigarettes, both available out of many a back door within most inner-city limits.
And as far stopping it at the source... Life is a hard and cheap existence in many parts of Asia (Singapore). Nobody tends to fight because there is enough money to be made for all. Removing competition to enable you to raise prices or sell more units just doesn`t work. Nobody will pay more than $1, and if Mr. Supplier is gone today, two more will be there tomorrow. As far as the government... What would your people do if they didn`t sell western goods and pirated clothes/equip/etc.??? Answer: Throw rocks at your nice sparkling white governmental building.
Thousands of rocks. Then they`d starve.
Peace.
p.s. I do not support, condone, or promote the buying and selling of illegal VCD`s and DVD`s. It is not my intention to `teach` someone - with the above info - HOW to do it. It`s just an informative comment.
This item was edited on Monday, 19th February 2001, 14:29
