The “Is this a bootleg?” Thread

[James-Masaki_Ryan]

While we would like to add as many titles as possible to our database, what we do not condone is bootlegging and piracy.

We have sometime inadvertently added bootleg releases, and with the help of our teammembers and users confirmed that they were unauthorized and subsequently removed.

If you see a title in our database and question its authenticity with reason, please let us know in this thread.

If you have a release that you are unsure if it is an unauthorized release or not, please post it here with photos so the team and other members can help identifying it.

If you happen to have a bootleg and the artwork or disc is filled with mistakes, post it here so we can have a laugh.

[Åsmund_Utvik]

https://www.discshop.se/filmer/dvd/trac ... ort/P39226

Former post of mine was flagged as bootleg. But it might be a legal cryptkeeper rls from Uk
(discshop never ever sells bootleg. The problem bootleg dont excist in scandinavia and it is prohibited.

So should i add this again or?

[Samuel_Scott]

I should just take a photo at the car boot sale I went to on Sunday. Bootleg galore and no attempt to hide it.

[James-Masaki_Ryan]

https://www.discshop.se/filmer/dvd/traces_of_death_5_disc_box_import/P39226

Former post of mine was flagged as bootleg. But it might be a legal cryptkeeper rls from Uk
(discshop never ever sells bootleg. The problem bootleg dont excist in scandinavia and it is prohibited.

So should i add this again or?

I emailed Brain Damage films about it and I remember they stared it was unauthorized. I will try to find the email and details later.

I also suggest to continue discussion here:
viewtopic.php?f=53&t=36266&view=unread#unread

[Åsmund_Utvik]

Traces of death 1-5

[Åsmund_Utvik]

Distributor Crypt Keeper (uk), not same as USA braindamage rls

[James-Masaki_Ryan]

viewtopic.php?f=56&t=33609

You previously submitted specs for a 9-disc Brain Damage release of "Traces of Death" which the company confirmed was a bootleg. I don't see anything from Crypt Keeper there.

[Ain_Uussaar]

Bootleg covers from China:
Easily the best gangster flick since Goodfellas ....... Dreamcatcher

Directors commentary by Simon West

Scream like thrills and Matrix like action ..... what else .... Jackass: The Movie AKA Dracula 2000

Back cover is full of wonders

And last but not least film so good it needs two listings for extras ...... The Core

Chinese just love directors commentaries by Simon West for all films.
And so that cast members wont get too tired theres a second commentary with director and Natasha Henstridge
Oh and tagline is the best also

[James-Masaki_Ryan]

https://www.discshop.se/filmer/dvd/traces_of_death_5_disc_box_import/P39226

Former post of mine was flagged as bootleg. But it might be a legal cryptkeeper rls from Uk
(discshop never ever sells bootleg. The problem bootleg dont excist in scandinavia and it is prohibited.

So should i add this again or?

I dont recall a previous thread for that title, except for the one fake Brain Damage set. Please post.

[Brent_Reid]

I'd like to open discussion on Australia's Force Video, as I've known for a long time they were a 100% bootleg label in their early days, with some legit releases towards their end, in 2006. For various reasons I couldn't really bring this up before now, but here's a brief overview of their history. As you'll see, this also encompasses early Eureka's regular piracy too.

It's incredible that they've always been accepted as a legit outfit and I'm sure after so long a lot of folk will have a hard time believing otherwise. I've just added the French Freeway 1 and 2 DVDs to the comparison and flagged up that the Force disc is a pirate. Of course, ideally all offending Force DVDs would be wiped, with a note explaining why they're unlisted. If there's no realistic prospect of that, can they at least be noted as boots over time?

[James-Masaki_Ryan]

Is it confirmed that "Freeway" was not legitimately released by Force Video Australia?

[Brent_Reid]

Hi James, assuming you've read all of my original bootleg article and the link above, tell me exactly what qualifies as verification. I'm not being sarcastic; throughout their first 14 years or so, everything Force released was unlicensed. Thereafter, it was only the overwhelming majority of it. David Shepard's action against them was the exception rather than the rule. I obviously haven't checked every single title of theirs, but I have checked a hell of a lot of them and found nothing, aside from reissues of David's material, remotely resembling legit product. In addition to David, several other owners of copyrighted material, who I know personally, have confirmed they were pirated by Force and Eureka. In the case of silent and early/classic films at least, both usually released pirated product in tandem.

In the case of Freeway in particular, Force's DVD is an NTSC-PAL transfer as Republic's NTSC US DVD and simultaneously released VHS, the only versions issued at the time, was all they had access to. I confess, I haven't actually seen Force's DVD - only sleeve and disc scans - and it may not be, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was actually non-anamorphic, as per Republic's disc, or even copied from the VHS.

Like I said, this is a lot to wrap your head around, especially 20-30 years after the fact, but just because no one outside of the industry has openly discussed these events before, doesn't mean they're untrue. I'll admit: info like this is certainly not what I expected to come across when I started researching bootlegging and piracy. Look at it this way, discussion like this is actually quite groundbreaking stuff!

[Åsmund_Utvik]

I guess this are bootlegs? So no use in posting these?
https://s8.postimg.cc/iyg9z6kyb/DSC_0284.jpg?dl=1
https://s8.postimg.cc/6723sriwz/DSC_0287.jpg?dl=1

[James-Masaki_Ryan]

It states 1080p on a DVD, so yes, both are bootlegs

[Brent_Reid]

This thread seems pretty dead but you never know: someone might pick this up. Though I can't vouch for every release listed here, quite a few DVDs and BDs from Germany's "Great Movies" have been confirmed as bootlegs. The label issues under many other names too and I wrote previously about their Alfred Hitchcock bootlegs.

[Ain_Uussaar]

Is this bootleg https://www.amazon.es/Mentiras-Arriesga ... B089GHS1KM ?

[Brent_Reid]

Of course it's kosher! Why wouldn't Fox/Universal and James Cameron choose to put out the world's first True Lies Blu-ray via a region free disc from Resen? Hmm?

[Christian_Bütikofer]

Hi all,

maybe it's off topic, but if someone knows German Uwe Boll gave a remarkable interview some years ago about piracy (or so called legitimate companies, which signed the contract for distribution but just don't pay - but before court they show that they have the rights - which is true, but they never paid...) and for me this was really enlightening how the business on the distributor side works. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnFSunTl0jk

And I know maybe a lot of you don't like this guy or his films but what he says is rellay interesting.

[James-Masaki_Ryan]

Basically Tartan UK was like that for some time.

[Brent_Reid]

I didn't know that about Tartan, James. Have you any more detail or perhaps a link to discussion of it?