05-19-2006, 11:51 PM
So me and my dad took a trip out to metro Detroit\'s bi-annual Motor City Comicon. It\'s a large-scale convention featuring comics, toys, movies, shirts, cult celebs, etc. Not something unusual, but it\'s probably the biggest one that Michigan sees. Anyhow, something wierd happened today while we were there.
As I was walking around by myself looking for different collectibles and such, I started noticing an unusual amount of police around. I didn\'t think much of it, until I went to a couple of tables to inquire about prices and the dealers told me that it was closed. I also thought it was wierd because these dealers had policemen standing right next to them. So, as I explored further, I noticed that there we a lot of policemen behind tables with the dealers that have closed or were in the process of closing their tables. I then realized that all of these tables contained those "bootleg films" that we all see at every convention that we go to (or at least I do). I walked around these tables and listened in, and even asked a few dealers (who wern\'t allowed to talk about the situation) to try to gain information. I then found a guy that explained it to me. All of these people were getting busted for selling these movies. Now, I realize that they are not actual copies of the films, as I have for years. But now the police and MPAA are cracking down on dealers like this. They had dealers in handcuffs, and an MPAA representative confescating their movies (sometimes 1,000\'s of them!) and hauling the guys off. Now, you can image what kinds of fines (or even jail time) that these guys are facing.
But this whole thing kind of ruined the atmosphere of the show. About 30% of the booths were closed. And EVERYBODY there was talking about what was going on. It was really wierd. In a way, I kind of feel bad for these dealers. Here they are, expecting to make money off these movies (like they have in past years) and they end up being arrested. But, I guess they deserve it for something they know is illegal. So as I word of warning to any potential dealers on these forums, do not sell bootlegged movies at conventions. These guys have screwed up bad for what they got caught doing. And I\'m sure that you don\'t want to the same to happen to you.
But...
I got a Halloween, Day of the Dead, Dawn of the Dead, and [/i]Friday the 13th[/i] T-shirt. Also, a 11x17 Day of the Dead poster and a full-size Halloween poster. So, I didn\'t do so bad...Pic coming soon!
As I was walking around by myself looking for different collectibles and such, I started noticing an unusual amount of police around. I didn\'t think much of it, until I went to a couple of tables to inquire about prices and the dealers told me that it was closed. I also thought it was wierd because these dealers had policemen standing right next to them. So, as I explored further, I noticed that there we a lot of policemen behind tables with the dealers that have closed or were in the process of closing their tables. I then realized that all of these tables contained those "bootleg films" that we all see at every convention that we go to (or at least I do). I walked around these tables and listened in, and even asked a few dealers (who wern\'t allowed to talk about the situation) to try to gain information. I then found a guy that explained it to me. All of these people were getting busted for selling these movies. Now, I realize that they are not actual copies of the films, as I have for years. But now the police and MPAA are cracking down on dealers like this. They had dealers in handcuffs, and an MPAA representative confescating their movies (sometimes 1,000\'s of them!) and hauling the guys off. Now, you can image what kinds of fines (or even jail time) that these guys are facing.
But this whole thing kind of ruined the atmosphere of the show. About 30% of the booths were closed. And EVERYBODY there was talking about what was going on. It was really wierd. In a way, I kind of feel bad for these dealers. Here they are, expecting to make money off these movies (like they have in past years) and they end up being arrested. But, I guess they deserve it for something they know is illegal. So as I word of warning to any potential dealers on these forums, do not sell bootlegged movies at conventions. These guys have screwed up bad for what they got caught doing. And I\'m sure that you don\'t want to the same to happen to you.
But...
I got a Halloween, Day of the Dead, Dawn of the Dead, and [/i]Friday the 13th[/i] T-shirt. Also, a 11x17 Day of the Dead poster and a full-size Halloween poster. So, I didn\'t do so bad...Pic coming soon!
