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jack attack
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Buai,
With such high demands, if the legit biz could give you all that you mentioned above you wanted, would you feel the need to buy the pirate copies?
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 1:30 am on Sep. 5, 2007
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ThaidUp
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No, but the problem in Thailand is No T&A and guys want to see T&A. Hell they are even mosaicing out cigarettes and booze. The bad guys are good at providing the vices we love booze, cigs and T&A.
Besides the good guys aren't that good. Look at the debacle going on with Apple computer when Steve Jobs steps in and teaches and creates a business model to expand sales of records and TV shows. Now seeing how successful Apple is in distributing their product they want to f*** it up with their own price model to put more money in their pockets.
And in the music industry very little if any money goes to the artists that the RIAA is supposed to represent. The bulk of the moeny goes to the lawyers who are busy sueing gramps who let their 8 year old grandson use the computer and he downloaded some songs illegally, but had to be made an example of.
So the good guys seem a lot of things in common with organized crime and extortion except they aren't as organized.
Meanwhile the movie studios are still making bank in the movie theaters when they produce good films. The DVD industry is a dying industry it will all succomb to digital downloading. The writing is on the wall. The music CD industry is first to die a quick death with evryone opting for MP3, next will be the DVD industry. It is just evolution!
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Bangkok Women : Meet Sensual Bangkok Women
Posted on: 2:00 am on Sep. 5, 2007
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China Sailor
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Quote: from DaffyDuck on 10:31 am on Sep. 5, 2007
...and the rules seem to make it quite clear that one item per person is allowed, for all the reasons we debated. Hence, if it is allowed, why not bring it...
That statement is not entirely correct. If you read the entirety of the link that IBF posted in said that 'regulations' allowed for the personal import of one item.
(now read this carefully Duck before you comment as it is detailed in its argument)
'Regulations' are a set of internal instructions issued to employees to facilitate the functioning of their job. They, in fact are constructs of the bureaucracy which may or may not follow the letter or spirit of the law.
For example the military has several regulations for conduct of oneself onboard ship. Many of these regulations are interpretations of either 'International Maritime Laws' or the 'Rules of Seafarers', some are based on the expediency of running a ship (port - upladder and starboard - downladder), but other regulations (i.e. consumption of alcohol onboard) are based on the history and traditions of the US Navy and have no basis in rule, law, or expediency.
Rules on the other hand are literal implementations of laws that have been created by a legitimate political body. In the United States that body in the US Congress.
Hence the careful use of the term 'regulation' by the US Customs Service in this case. Based on precedent and expediency the Customs Service has given regulations to their Inspectors to allow the import of one branded item per class for personal use to individuals.
However the law forbids the import of any pirated trademarked or copyrighted items.
Now if one goes back to the posts that initiated this discussion the issue was the confiscation of pirated items from a box that is mailed. These are not checked by Customs Inspectors but by Postal Inspectors who operate under a whole separate set of 'regulations' that may be much more strict than that of the Customs Inspector at the airport. Furthermore, when an item is shipped by mail there is no way for the inspector to ascertain if the items are for personal use (unless they are obviously in a used condition). Therefore it is likely they would be thrown out as these items are forbidden by law.
I would say that even if any Customs or Postal inspector confiscated your pirated items that you brought for personal use and you took them to court over it you would lose your case on the fact that regulation or not these items are forbidden by law. In fact if I were the judge on that case I would also fine you in accordance with the law as would be my duty.
So forget the smoke and mirrors here boys. The bottom line is that if you do ship or carry pirated items back to the United States do not be surprised if they are confiscated...
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 2:10 am on Sep. 5, 2007
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China Sailor
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Quote: from Buai on 4:17 pm on Sep. 5, 2007
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Quote: from jack attack on 3:10 pm on Sep. 5, 2007
In each case, the price of original and copy can be offset by renting or the timing of availability can be offset by going to the cinema.
Why support the bad guys?
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Because they give me what I want, when I want and at the price I want?
The problem with your statement buai is that you have not included the hidden costs for that pirated DVD.
Some that come to mind are:
Increased local taxes and fees in order to fight the criminal gangs supported by your purchase
Increased Federal taxes and fees in order to prevent the import of the durgs and other smuggled materials these gangs provide
Increased insurance premiums caused by the crimes related to the activities of the gangs your purchase supports
Increased personal costs to you if you happen to be one of the victims of a crime related to the activities of the gangs your pruchases support.
Any questions...
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Sexy Bangkok Girls
Posted on: 2:19 am on Sep. 5, 2007
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expatchuck
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Does this mean our own DaffyDick is a clone and is therefore an inferior product of the original?
Methinks it does.
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 2:19 am on Sep. 5, 2007
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DaffyDuck
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Quote: from Mr Alan on 11:34 am on Sep. 5, 2007
The reason why Disney enforces copyright protection against unlicensed toys and tee shirts with Disney characters on them is not because it damages the reputation of Disney, it is because they are greedy and want to be paid for the right to reproduce the original Disney image, even if the unlicensed image is exactly reproduced on a higher quality product.
The sad truth is also that a lot of unlicensed products are usually of better quality than the licensed products (note there is a distinction between 'counterfeit' and 'unlicensed')
Quote: from Mr Alan on 11:34 am on Sep. 5, 2007
I would agree that money is the main motivator for Disney wanting to enforce it’s copyright (also the main motivator for Rolex/trademark) – but I do not agree that pirated products do not diminish Disney. I have seen plenty of pirated Disney related products that would never be approved by Disney – poor quality, poor use of the characters, not befitting the company image, etc.
I'll also agree that there are plenty of copied and unlicensed products that are pure crap, or of much lesser quality - though in the case of Disney, I found that to hold true mostly of products available at the theme parks (great quality) and less so of licensed products available at the stores...
Overall, it's a sliding scale - you can buy a genuine Lacoste shirt for $50-$80 or you can buy the Sukhumvit special for $2. Obviously, the quality will be different, but you'll worry less when you thrash the Sukhumvit special.
To be honest, debating philosophically about the ethics of purchasing pirated goods in Bangkok is not just futile, but also kinda silly...
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Bangkok Women : Meet Beautiful Thai Girls
Posted on: 3:12 am on Sep. 5, 2007
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DaffyDuck
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Quote: from jack attack on 3:10 pm on Sep. 5, 2007
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has irrefutable evidence that the people behind movie piracy, counterfeiting, bootlegging, et al, are the same involved in the illegal drug trade, child pornagraphy distribution as well as human trafficking. In other words, it is organized crime.
The MPAA will also have you believe anything else they can fabricate and get away with -- sorry, but their level of credibility is somewhat tainted, and I work with them, so I have a pretty good idea about their level of 'research'.
Quote: from jack attack on 3:10 pm on Sep. 5, 2007
And if you don't believe them, think for moment, how the f*ck can the copies of movies get all over the world within a few days of its release in the first cinema? Someone has a very well developed network in place and it must be the same one that can move any measure of illegal goods and services.
There's this thing called 'The Internet...'
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 3:25 am on Sep. 5, 2007
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jack attack
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MPAA reports to 6 bosses- all the studios. You don't have to believe them as I mentioned. But do you really think any schmagegie can get the distribtuion of these goods around the world without a well oiled set up?
Internet works for sending first source of pirate material which then gets made into discs locally. Whoever is getting the first source, is getting paid some serious money that would be likely from a pirate organization. But again it is all about distribution. You don't have 50,000 people downloading hundreds of movies and then buring them to be sold on the streets and night markets in Thailand.
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Thai Girls : Meet Active Thai Girls
Posted on: 4:29 am on Sep. 5, 2007
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Mr Alan
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Quote: from China Sailor on 3:04 am on Sep. 5, 2007
Now if one goes back to the posts that initiated this discussion the issue was the confiscation of pirated items from a box that is mailed. These are not checked by Customs Inspectors but by Postal Inspectors who operate under a whole separate set of 'regulations' that may be much more strict than that of the Customs Inspector at the airport. Furthermore, when an item is shipped by mail there is no way for the inspector to ascertain if the items are for personal use (unless they are obviously in a used condition). Therefore it is likely they would be thrown out as these items are forbidden by law.
The US Customs people are the ones who inspect the shipments, many of which are via FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc, in addition to the US Postal Service (USPS). The people who posted in this thread above mentioned several different carriers.
So I do not think the reason is because different agencies are doing the inspections. The reason why shipments of counterfeit goods are banned is that there is no way to know how many different shipments of the same item are being made by the same person, so that all shipments are deemed as for commercial use (resale), as opposed as for personal use if you bring it with you.
Obviously, there are pratical obstacles in inspecting single items being imported, especially if being worn by the returning tourist. If you did own a real Rolex on your wrist, how would you like it if a customs official wanted to inspect it to make sure it was real? Not to mention the problem of inspecting the Calvin Klein underwear you are wearing.
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 4:57 am on Sep. 5, 2007
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China Sailor
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Quote: from Mr Alan on 7:51 pm on Sep. 5, 2007
The US Customs people are the ones who inspect the shipments, many of which are via FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc, in addition to the US Postal Service (USPS). The people who posted in this thread above mentioned several different carriers...
Not entirely correct Mr. Alan,
I ran an MPO (Military Post Office) once in my Navy days and Customs Inspections were performed by a Postal Inspector (in my case a Navy Postal Clerk) trained by the USPO.
If significant contraband was found it was reported to the US Customs Service for follow-up and investigation but only Postal Inspectors are allowed to open up the mail.
And you can take that to the Post Office...
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 5:18 am on Sep. 5, 2007
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