Kim's Video in NYC BUSTED
 

It's no secret that Kim's sells bootleg...well anything... but yesterday they finally got in trouble for it. I'm assuming this is the correct forum? The story is here:

http://www.gawker.com/news/culture/c...-50-107222.php

Shocking....not really. ;)

Maybe I should tip them off to a few more places ;)

Wow....

I used to work at the one at Bleecker and LaGuardia. It's pretty strange that the cops are going after them now. Great video stores.

Not surprising... man, I haven't been in there in ages. In fact, I think the last time I was there, I bought the Swamp Thing *laserdisc*. So, it's been pretty damn close to a decade. ;)

I think they were getting pretty brazen with putting blatantly illegal product on the shelf - last week I saw several <i>Song Of The South</i> DVDs sitting there.

Interestng that they arrested employees on the 1st floor (CDs), not the upper floors where the DVDs are located.

From another thread..

Originally Posted by Skoobooz
I'd bet money that this is the store he found these at.

Nah, I can find the Salo bootleg at a few places in Manhattan.

DJ

I never saw <i>Salo</i> at Kim's, but I've seen it several times over the past year or two at the Entertainment Outlet stores.

Like I said earlier in this thread, actually, I worked at Kim's...therefore, I wouldn't have made the claim that it was a store "that doesn't knowingly sell bootlegs." :) It's not Kim's.

I think you mean Kim Jong-Il's Video Store. :)

I've definitely seen Salo at Kims

I'm pretty sure that Entertainment Outlet is knowingly selling bootlegs, at least in the case of "Salo".

Well, a, they sell bootleg CDs too (or used to), and B, it sounds, from the article, like they were going after the computers which were being used to burn bootlegs, which were, I guess, on the first floor.

I bet now's the time to swing by for there for great "raising legal defense" prices.

Really? Did you actually buy one? I really am curious (though as I said in the other thread, I assumed they were bootlegs). I actually thought Entertainment Outlet was relatively "clean," so to speak, and that they just didn't know what they had.

Anyway, on this topic, Kim's prices are usually high enough. But I still wonder what this will mean for Kim's overall.

Really? I can think of lots of words to describe Entertainment Outlet, but "clean" would not be one of them, literally or figuratively.

Well, the 14th St. location, at least. The 40th St. is, at least, literally clean since their relocation.

Huh. Aside from those Salos and a bootleg Lost Highway disc, I haven't recognized anything illegitimate there. True, they primarily have (or had, I haven't been there in a while) Canadian discs and they do put things out super-early, but that's why I love them.

And yes, it is slightly filthy and it does occasionally smell (the 14th Street one), but it was worth it to get a disc up to two and a half weeks early sometimes. Ah, New York.

That doesn't strike you as slightly...not clean?

Again, I may be wrong and I'd be happy to have it explained as to why it's a bad thing, but it seems like rampant bootlegs, a la Kim's, are worse than putting a disc out for sale early. So does it strike me as not clean? Sure, but breaking street date seems like a white collar DVD crime, so to speak.

That Shaolin Soccer disc I bought from them years ago sure didn't seem like a legit release. Although it looked like the HK Universe release, it was missing all the special features.

DJ

This isn't a legal analysis, but from a common-sense point of view, I'd say selling a bootleg of an otherwise unavailable movie (unavailable in this country, at least) is a lesser crime than "breaking contract" to put a disc out early and eat into the sales of other retailers who follow the rules. Law aside, personally, the latter strikes me as significantly sneakier and slimier, at least when done on a consistent, organized basis.

Also, on selling the Canadian version: I have no idea of the actual issues involved, but my gut asks if selling the cheaper Canadian version were on the up-and-up, why don't Best Buy, Circuit City, etc. do it?

A tad off topic, but I was surprised when I was in Los Angeles last year to see a store on Hollywood Blvd. selling bootlegs.

I mean, in Chicago or New York they're really far away from the Hollywood studios, but IN Hollywood, that's crazy. I can't remember the name of the store, but I'm heading out to L.A. in a few days so I'll have to check it out and see if they are still selling bootlegs.

I didn't realize the Canadian versions were cheaper; if that's actually the case, combined with the unbeknownst-to-me bootlegs and, yes, even the street date breaking, Entertainment Outlet may admittedly be...less than reputable.

Still, I do see your point re: breaking street date. However, personally, bootlegs bother me more than putting something out early. Is it right? No. But again, if choosing between the two evils, I'll choose breaking street date. Just an opinion.

I went to Kim's and bought some of their rare CDs, like the Japan only Money Mark - Love Stains EP which was two 3" CDs, or the Japanese Ghost Dog OST.

:up: :up:

So have I...I dont think it was the CC one but Ive seen it everytime I go there. Um, Im pretty sure they know because its not like they are even very good bootlegs. Everytime I go there, I show my wife 3-4 different dvds that are bootlegs. I go there thinking, Im going to get something, and always leave pissed off wishing I went to Chinatown.

More then half of the small film noir section are bootlegs, or DVD-Rs.

I use to work part-time at the Kim's underground on Bleecker, and all I can say is YIPPEEE!!!

If there is anyone more deserving to have his store raided than Mr Kim, please let me know, because I don't.

The weird thing is that DVDs are on the second floor, so I'm wondering if they were going after illegal music, DVDs or both?