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Bubba

Sep 25, 2004, 4:01 PM

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Steal This Book

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This is a post about situational ethics.

I have been waiting for some time for Farenheit 9/11 to arrive at movie theaters in Guadalajara and that occurred about 10 days ago. I have been planning to drive the 150 kilometers round trip or so to the big city and pay my $60 pesos at the cinema in Centro Magno, buy a bag of popcorn and enjoy this political screed which just happens to enforce my political leanings.

But, just this morning I was sitting in the plaza in Jocotepec, Jalisco and enjoying a nice double espresso (quite the recent experience if you know what I mean) when I noticed that the tienda next to the coffee house was selling DVDs. I also noted that the place was selling the DVD for Farenheit 9/11 for only $20 Pesos. Imagine that. Only $20 Pesos for this movie I had patiently been waiting to see for many weeks. Well, one could say that I might have construed that the cheap DVD was pirated but why would I make that assumption? After all, this tienda is only a few doors down from the Jocotepec police station which has the store in plain sight. Certainly the Jocotepec police would have shut down this illicit enterprise if it, indeed, were selling pirated materials. I, therefore, made the logical leap that this was a legitimate sale of the DVD of this movie and I bought the thing.

Now, if I were more sophisticated, I might consider that I had committed an illicit act but who am I to presume to judge local customs. After all, I spent my DVD money in support of local enterprise and helped to feed a local family scratching out a living on the margins of society. I have always suspected that establishment theaters around Guadalajara were nothing more that money laundering schemes anyway so I thought that I could use this experience to invite the more thoughtful among you to support or disdain my decision.

Any thoughts?

Anonimo

Sep 25, 2004, 4:22 PM

Post #2 of 18 (1367 views)

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Re: [Bubba] Steal This Book

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Bubba, you are one hell of a writer, that's all I have to say.

Saludos,
Anonimo

Saludos,
Anonimo

Jerry@Ajijic

Sep 25, 2004, 6:28 PM

Post #3 of 18 (1348 views)

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Re: [Bubba] Steal This Book

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Bubba, the movie was showing at the movie house in Ajijic about a month ago. I fact since then they showed another somewhat similar (which did not seem to as professional) named Liberty Unbound.

satman

Sep 25, 2004, 6:41 PM

Post #4 of 18 (1340 views)

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Steal This Book = Den of Theives

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Perhaps, Bubba, is one of the greatest, overlooked authors of our time; however, that does not go to say that he is a saint. Bubba, you are a theif as well as anyone else who buys any pirated DVD, CD, or cassette. You might think of yourself as a modern-day Robin Hood, in the fact that you are stealing from our extremely wealthy superstars, actors and directors and giving your money to the local poor. Shame on you all. How else will these debt-stricken famous souls pay for their Rolls or Escalades? They have a right to be compensated for their work, and you should not give their fair share to someone else, even if they need it more. I am embarrassed to say that I even share the same love for Mexico with any of you theives.

Disclaimer:
This post does not apply to me or any of my DVD's or CD's.
SATMAN

"Some will bitch about a dollar, while there are those without a dime."

Jerry@Ajijic

Sep 25, 2004, 7:18 PM

Post #5 of 18 (1334 views)

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Re: [Jerry@Ajijic] Steal This Book

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Bubba, one other bit of info. The Farenheit 9/11 movie is due to be released on DVD October 5th.

sfmacaws

Sep 25, 2004, 8:38 PM

Post #6 of 18 (1316 views)

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Re: [Jerry@Ajijic] Steal This Book

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Ah yes, Bubba, you're a thief. I do think you paid too much for it though.

Jonna (who thinks it is as close to a documentary as an infomercial on late night tv)

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

Carol Schmidt

Sep 25, 2004, 9:55 PM

Post #7 of 18 (1301 views)

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Re: [Bubba] Steal This Book

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I broke down and bought one bootleg movie since we got here, and it was because I had been trying to see "The Hours" for months and missed it when it was in San Miguel and missed it when I was in Phoenix. I had huge misgivings and great shame about doing so.

And then I was appropriately punished: the copy was no good.

As a writer whose books and articles have been misused and outright stolen, I feel great empathy for artists whose works are stolen. I decided I had been given a sign from the Copyright Goddess never to sin again, at least not in that way. It sure is tempting to see those 20-peso DVDs at Tuesday Market though.

I always shudder when I see all the knockoffs--cartoon characters in the parades, Disney ceramics, Nike tennis shoes for 200 pesos. China is far worse, but that doesn't make me feel any better about it here.

One of my favorite designers, Laura Burch, who does wild cat and animal designs for clothing, quilts, jewelry, etc., finally gave up on her production business since she was being ripped off so badly. Now she just sells the designs so people can buy the patterns to make their own work, since they're going to do it anyway.

When I had the ceramics shop in rural Michigan, many of the shops copied the Precious Moments, Disney, Charley Brown, Superman and other ceramics which were on the market at high prices and made their own molds from them. Charles Schultz ("Peanuts") in particular was known for having his people make the rounds of small ceramics stores and sueing them into bankruptcy if illegal copies were found.

But no one ever thinks they will be caught. I don't think the copyright laws even exist in Mexico, do they?

Carol Schmidt

jennifer rose

Sep 25, 2004, 10:20 PM

Post #8 of 18 (1293 views)

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Re: [Carol Schmidt] Steal This Book

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Carol, Mexico does have copyright laws. And a whole body of law embracing the protection of intellectual property. Piracy extends beyond simply DVDs and CDs -- to designer labels, books, liquor, and more. It's a very, very serious problem.

Carol Schmidt

Sep 26, 2004, 9:10 AM

Post #9 of 18 (1243 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] Steal This Book

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Thank you, Jennifer. I keep hearing people say that Mexico has no copyright laws, but I'm glad to hear that they exist. Yes, it is a serious problem, worldwide. As an artist and writer, I'm glad the laws exist and hope they are more enforced. So many people think of violations as robbing the rich guy to help the poor guy, but the poor guy is breaking the law nevertheless, and this kind of "civil disobedience" gives civil disobedience a bad name, it's just stealing.

It's not just the rich artist who suffers, it's all the people involved in that business generated by the talented one, and not all of them are rich. Good grief, I'm talking like a Republican!

Carol Schmidt

Bubba

Sep 26, 2004, 9:27 AM

Post #10 of 18 (1237 views)

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Re: [satman] Steal This Book = Den of Theives

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Satman:

The posting was meant to be provocative but also to make a point. In Jalisco state there must be thousands of places where one can buy or rent pirated video tapes, DVDs and CDs. As I pointed out regarding the juxtaposition of the Jocotepec police department and the DVD store, this illicit trade is widely and purposefully ignored by the authorities. Even without applying an ethical standard in my personal behavior, I really avoid buying or renting these things because they are usually of such poor quality.

By the way, there is no outward sign whatsoever that the DVDs being sold by the Jocotepec vendor are pirated except the bargain price. In fact, every video and DVD rental place in my town of Ajijic except the one I favor on the carretera, rents pirated movies and that includes a certain civic organization catering to expatriots.

I find the notion ironic that one can be considered corrupt for purchasing a video that purports to expose the grand scale corruption of the Bush and Saudi families.

By the way, after watching my DVD, I am convinced that it was pirated by its poor quality of reproduction so I am off to see the movie in Guadalajara where the money I spend will go into the hands of the powerful and corrupt theater owners instead of the hands of a poor Jocotepec family trying to make ends meet.

Situational ethics is always a fun topic. My Spanish teacher, a native and life long resident of Guadalajara, absolutely starts smoking from the ears when she hears that I might have paid the little bite to a Guadalajara cop so that I could be on my way yet she doesn't hesitate to purchase pirated videos or computer software at the Libertad Market. One of my Gringo neighbors was laughing at me for paying $80US for for photography software he bought at the Libertad for $5US. He thought me an idiot.

Uncle Jack

Sep 26, 2004, 9:50 AM

Post #11 of 18 (1236 views)

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Re: [Bubba] Steal This Book = Den of Theives

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"In Jalisco state there must be thousands of places where one can buy or rent pirated video tapes, DVDs and CDs."

In the state of California there must be thousands of place where one can buy heroin, cocaine, and meth. Does that make it okay?

"Even without applying an ethical standard in my personal behavior, I really avoid buying or renting these things because they are usually of such poor quality."

Would your ethical standards change if the product were of better quality?

"I find the notion ironic that one can be considered corrupt for purchasing a video that purports to expose the grand scale corruption of the Bush and Saudi families."

Let's see.....stealing is okay if it supports your own particular socio-politcal beliefs.

Cut the crap, Bubba, stealing is stealing!

uj

Texwheel

Sep 26, 2004, 10:35 AM

Post #12 of 18 (1214 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] Steal This Book

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CBS Sunday Morning on TV had an article this morning about the exploding popularity of golf in China. In one town, Beijing I think, there were six golf equipment stores within a few blocks of each other. All were loaded with clubs and golf gear supposedly from all the best-known manufacturers...ALL of which is fake, pirated merchandise. There are no copyrite/trademark laws in China.
Tom Williams
Georgetown, Texas
Texwheel@aol.com

Jerry@Ajijic

Sep 26, 2004, 11:07 AM

Post #13 of 18 (1203 views)

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Re: [Bubba] Steal This Book = Den of Theives

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Bubba, just for information, the legal DVD coming out in October is supposed to have 100 minutes of additional video.

Bubba

Sep 26, 2004, 11:17 AM

Post #14 of 18 (1204 views)

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Re: [Uncle Jack] Steal This Book = Den of Theives

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Now, now, Uncle Jack, let's not shoot the messenger. Speaking of illegal drugs, when I was growing up in the rural south, alcoholic beverages were illegal in my home county. The most used highway in the county went directly to the liquor store on the county line where one could wait in line with the local clergy and political leaders of the dry county waiting one's turn to bootleg in some Early Times. The only people who got arrested for bootlegging in booze just happened to be poor blacks but I'm sure that was just a coincidence.

People are hypocrites and the purpose of my post was to point that out.

I would be willing to bet that every video or CD vendor in every tianguis in Mexico is a pirate as are most video rental places. Nobody does anything about it and gringos regularly patronize these people. In fact, when I was still a member of a certain expat group, I rented videos from them that were obviously pirated.

Would I buy or rent pirated videos if their quality were comparable to the real thing? Absolutely not. Only a low life thief would buy a comparable DVD from a local mom&pop vendor for $20 pesos when one could pay $150 Pesos at a Mr. CD store and further enrich the already filthy rich artists and various and sundry hangers on who greatly overcharge for their normally mediocre products. I am surprised that you would even consider that I would do such a thing. You know, I used to tip the Human Jukebox (Grimes Poznokoff, was it?) in Aquatic Park to play I Left My Heart in San Francisco but, I never bought weed from him even though everybody in town, including the cops, knew he often had it available. You have never met a straighter and more honorable character than Bubba. I only purchased the pirated DVD in Jocotepec because I thought it was legit and I was getting a deal because the guy liked me. I mean would the Jocotepec police allow the existence of a pirate DVD store right under their noses?

As to your point that stealing is OK as long as it fits one's socio-political agenda (watch out, your San Francisco background is showing with that sort of language) , I see you finally got my point concerning situational ethics. That certainly worked for the Kennedy and Bush families and the House of Saud.

Only horse thieves settled the swamps of South Alabama back in the 19th Century and only then because there was a bounty on their heads in South Carolina. What do you expect from one of their offspring.

Biggles

Sep 26, 2004, 11:30 AM

Post #15 of 18 (1196 views)

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Re: [Bubba] Steal This Book

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Ignoring the fact that this movie has about as much credible information about 9/11 as Harry Potter does to modern medicine, it's a shame that we can justify anything as long as it makes us "feel good". The others were right, stealing is stealing. It appears, though, that if we lessen the degree of the offense, that somehow makes it more acceptable.

I may not like a lot of what you write, Bubba, but I sure do enjoy reading it!

Cheri

Bubba

Sep 26, 2004, 11:31 AM

Post #16 of 18 (1195 views)

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Re: [Jerry@Ajijic] Steal This Book = Den of Theives

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Thanks, Jerry. That is good to know. I think I will wait for that rather than go into Guadalajara. Allow me to return the favor. The DVD of the excellent if relentlessly violent movie City of God which is about street gangs in Rio de Janeiro, has a documentary included that is an interview with the ex-police chief of Rio who talks extensively about police corruption in Brazil. This documentary is compelling and way better than the movie itself. You have hit upon the reasons waiting for DVDs can be so rewarding with their special features.

His contention is that the police in Rio are corrupt and violent because that is what the powers that be want. Everybody who is anybody wants their ticket fixed. Those with power also want the street gangs dealt with with extreme violence to keep the violence centered in the slums. I highly recommend this DVD to you and it can be rented at the tienda on the carretera west of Colon. As far as I know, this is the only place in town that seems to meticulously insist on renting only legitimate DVDs.

Bubba

Sep 26, 2004, 11:37 AM

Post #17 of 18 (1194 views)

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Re: [Biggles] Steal This Book

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Thank you, Cheri:

By the way, I got my comeupance. Not only was that one lousy copy of Farenheit 9/11 but it only had 80 minutes of a 122 minute movie. I'm out $20 Pesos but there will be extra frijoles on the table in Joco tonight. Perspective is everything.

mepsi

Sep 29, 2004, 2:05 PM

Post #18 of 18 (994 views)

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Re: [Bubba] Steal This Book

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Everyone knows you shouldn{t buy, or even watch, a pirated DVD.

Seems like the obvious solution is to borrow a genuine copy from your friend who got ripped off for the horrendous price of the real thing. Hmmm... why not run off a copy for yourself while you have it borrowed...

Monte