'Are you a knock-off Nigel or Nigella?' poll discussion

Twopints

Dorrie wrote: »

I don't deliberately break the law, which buying these DVDs is, and find it amazing that people are so happy to do so!

Buying pirated DVDs is not illegal. So answer A is not valid, and you would not actually be doing anything illegal.

However, you would be supporting illegal activity because the production and distribution of pirated DVDs is illegal. It is also reputed to be a front for various forms of organised crime.

From the FACT website:

While it is not an offence to buy pirated DVDs, the production, distribution and sale of pirated DVDs is a criminal offence and those found guilty can be punished by a maximum 10 years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine in the Crown Court, and a maximum of £5,000 and/or six months imprisonment in the magistrates court.

asdesigned

I would say that I definately fall into the last category as a downloader. However before being critisied about stealing from the poor film industry it is worth noting that I also own over 500+ legitimate DVDs (normally the special editions as well), before that probably twice the amount in videos and now a fair few Bluray discs.
If I like a film then i'll buy a DVD version of it without question.

Most of the time the cinema shows the biggest films with the biggest budgets but NEVER shows any world cinema, independent films or older films.

I'm therefore left with 4 choices:

1) Buy a film for any where from £5 - £20 on a hope.
2) Hire the film for a night for £3.99 while still not owning it.
3) See only a limited selection of films at the cinema at £7 (plus £4 parking, £6 food and drink)
4) Download and watch it and then spend my hard earned money if I like it.

There is some awful rubbish made that I would kick myself if I had bought without watching it first, and if I had then I would only have sold it on ebay straight away!

If you have contributed to the film industry more than me (i.e have bought thousands of products from them) then feel free to look down on me!!....and unlike the adverts I wouldn't steal food or a handbag.

real1314

Twopints wrote: »

Buying pirated DVDs is not illegal. So answer A is not valid, and you would not actually be doing anything illegal.

However, you would be supporting illegal activity because the production and distribution of pirated DVDs is illegal. It is also reputed to be a front for various forms of organised crime.

From the FACT website:

I don't generally bother with copied dvds, mainly 'cos most of the dvds I buy are for my kids and they like the idea of having a proper copy with the case and insert etc.
However this whole "copied dvds/software/cds funds drugs, prostitution, people smuggling, bear baiting, devil worshipping and littering" really hacks me off.
in my experience most film copying is done by small scale individuals who use it to supplement fairly low incomes. Quite why I should condemn such people and should instead support "poor" movie stars who can afford private jets and get paid ££millions££ every year, I really don't know.

Masonity

MSE_Lawrence wrote: »

Yet if you aren't aware that it's fake when you buy it (and presumably you can prove this in some way), it's a civil matter. Hence I was careful to say that it's 'generally' considered criminal...

If anybody knows better, I'd be interested to hear more on this. Thanks

One of the cornerstones of our criminal justice system is "Innocent until proven guilty", while another is "beyond reasonable doubt".

Therefore the police would have to prove, beyond doubt, that you did in fact know you was buying an illegal product. You don't have to prove anything.

If it was a civil case (balance of probabilities) then there's a very good chance you are going to have to have one hell of a defense. But in a criminal matter, you have nothing to prove. You don't need to. You are innocent until they can prove it is 99% probable that you knew it was an illegal copy.

Of course, posting here I've now given them that proof if I'm ever caught with a pirate DVD. I'm risking prison if I ever pick up a pirate movie for you guys!

xmollyx

I hope none of you people who criticise the downloading of DVD's don't download or copy music either from your friends or the internet without paying for it!!

Another thing if its such a bad thing to copy DVD's why do they sell blank ones (film length) in the shops.

I often think to myself when I see these self-congratulating award ceremonies on the TV, how poor these actors / actresses are, they look so badly done to in their latest designer gear!!

My heart bleeds

Yeah they look really sad.

Just because you download DVD's does not make you a terrorist!!!

xmollyx

Whilst on my soap-box

I just wanted to say if anyone knows any of these so-called terrorists that make money from downloading DVD's and selling them, why are you not telling the police where these terrorists are?

[Deleted User]

I tend to download a lot of stuff but its mainly TV things I don't get chance to watch. I do download the occasional movie but also (as has already been said) do buy legitimate copies online. I just got sick of paying £20 for movies that were awful, u watched them once and never again - they were rarely as good as the adverts. I have no problem at all with paying online for small band's (otherwise unreleased) music and stuff.., then I know its going to them rather than some huge company.

xmollyx

Just to add to the last post I do not buy knock-off DVD's but I sometimes download them. Then buy them on Blu-ray if they are any good. Buying some of these DVD's is very expensive but the quality of them is great. Recently I found a really good shop that recycles DVD's and games called CEX and some of these DVD's are half-price or less.

PS.
I haven't really used these forums before as I've never had much to say , I thought I was quiet happy! But it seems I'm a very angry person at the moment! :mad:
I need to go lie down in a darkened room .

ChemicalJasper

Knock off Nigel's only exist due to the greed on the media companies.

DVDs and CD when pressed in huge runs cost pennies

If you could buy a proper copy at a fair price say £3 - £5,

1. Who would buy a bent copy? - putting many copiers out of business (and the other organised crime these people are involved in)

2. More people would buy them because the are more affordable, increasing overall sales

3. Do the big starts really need tens of millions of dollars per movie when there are tens of million of people living in abject poverty?

It is within the industry grasp to price the majority of this trade out of the market if they so wished!

Lexis200

xmollyx wrote: »

PS.
I haven't really used these forums before as I've never had much to say , I thought I was quiet happy! But it seems I'm a very angry person at the moment! :mad:
I need to go lie down in a darkened room .

The trouble with that statement is you made the first post last night, then you went and lay in a darkened room overnight, THEN you got up before 8am and told everyone you were angry and had to go and lie down... it seems to me you need anger management classes rather than just a lie down, as that clearly isn't working!!!:rotfl::rotfl:

On a serious note though, it hacks me off when I buy (or even now rent) a film classes as a "must see" or "the action film of the year" etc only to find I've nodded off as it was so boring. I like others have bought hundreds of DVDs over the years, and VHS before that, but rarely do now. I borrow or download all the tat, and when I turn up a gem that really deserves my money, I go and buy it, special edition if possible.

Trouble is nowadays that Hollywood seems to be in a loop of churning out templated films (I'm thinking of Death Race here which is likely to be as formuleic as the other rubbish Jason Statham has been in recently, Lock Stock and Snatch being the exceptions but they're years old now). Will I go and see it in the cinema? Nope. Buy it? Nope, download it and be proved wrong? Possibly. Wait for Sky to show it for free in a years time? Most likely...