The way you stop this guy from selling his copies is to set up a table close by and sell the exact same stuff for a dollar less. That will stop him.

that's completely not true, though. i've been directly involved where they hired a PI in my town to help investigate a situation identical to the OP's post. it was a guy at a table selling bootleg dvds at a swap meet.

They hired a PI? So they don't even have their own people to investigate the very thing the hotline is supposed to prevent? That's hilarious.

You are obviously an MPAA plant on this forum. Bravo on continuing the charade since 1999. Seriously, your case might have been the one time they actually investigated something. They do try to coordinate activities in L.A. and New York, since most pirated Asian bootlegs come in through those two cities. New York and New Jersey are awash in pirated media.

Maybe they just changed their focus, and don't care about the street corner seller anymore like they used to?

I just discovered this thread. Where have I been for the last two years?

[Note to self: check in again in July 2015 to see Alan Smithee once again confront the Nefarious Bootlegger at the State Fair.]

I've never actually been to a State Fair. They don't seem to have such things in New York City. Maybe I should fly out to this one next year, find the bootlegger and say to him, "So you're the bootlegger I've been reading so much about on the internet. They say that if I bring a printout of this entire thread, I'll get a free copy of SONG OF THE SOUTH with every two other DVDs I purchase." Think it'll work?

Alan, why don't you make this guy an offer? Have him sell off the bulk of your collection--on consignment--in exchange for stopping the calls to the MPAA. You'll kill two birds with one stone.

I see fake products at local flea markets all the time. Last one I went to had a guy with a booth filled with nothing but fake NorthFace and Under Armor gear. No one seemed to care and he wasn't fooling anyone regarding its authenticity.

it is out of state. it was cheaper to hire a PI who had done this work before than fly someone to my state and put them up to investigate.

It's a glorified county fair. They call it the State Fair because its held here, which is the state capital. I'm sure there are regional county fairs in the Tri-State area somewhere. It's the same thing.

And it's the same thing every year. Something to do with family and friends, but it's literally the same thing every year. Every vendor, exhibit, and activity in the exact same spot.

This year's Stage Nine booth (candy theme) is recycled from about four years ago (my friend made some of the candy props for that exhibit, and I saw the same exact props again this year). We both did some props for the toy theme many years ago as well. I can say I'm proud of myself for putting up drywall for that exhibit..haha

That guy is a prop master. I always pick his brain when Halloween rolls around.

The only redeeming qualities the fair has is the food. They even did an episode of Man vs. Food in Sac and that was one of the stops.

Does New York Comic Con qualify as a county fair? Hey, they sell bootlegs, too!

Do not go to China, Alan Smithee. Your head would explode.

I've heard in China, legit copies are the exception rather than the rule. I've been getting emails in the past week from Warner Archive telling me to go to Comic-Con, but it's too far for me. Seems if Warner were there they'd have people looking out for bootlegs, though of course Warner Archive discs are essentially legalized bootlegs as they're on DVD-Rs.

Is Warner assigning you to go? That might mean they're paying for the trip!

There's no such thing as a "legal bootleg."

You just find any reason to complain, don't you?

and they even have their own website: http://www.nysfair.org/

Give Jace a call and he will take care of it. The vendor will not likely want to continue after the confrontation.

If you buy dvds from a state fair you probably deserve to get a bootleg.

I image searched this bootleg business to learn a little bit more and then this is what I get:

Sadly I didn't make it to the state fair this year, and its last day is tomorrow. Did anyone else happen to see this guy there this year? I wouldn't be surprised if nothing has still come of him, though if someone bought a G-rated movie from him and it turned out to have porn on it, then that would be on the national news.

Yeah he was there. I heard him tell someone that he also sells at the Iowa State Fair, New York State Fair, the Texas State Fair and a few others that I couldn't hear so good. Looks like he makes good money as the sales were going well for him the short time I was there. That's pretty brazen. If it's true.

Wow- it's official then- you CANNOT get busted for selling bootlegs. I'm gonna break out all my out-of-print titles, some DVD-Rs and run the covers though my scanner Just need to get an inkjet printer to print scanned disc labels like this guy does.

(And just remembered "Talk Like a Pirate Day" was this week.)