Is this the end, my pirated DVD seller friend?
I visited Rainbow Centre, Karachi’s hub of pirated DVDs/VCDs/audio cds today, to discover racks full of outdated movies and the shopkeeper quoting a ridiculously high price, compared to Rainbow’s low standards. His reasoning? The recent raids on factories producing pirated merchandise, and their operations being sealed. While I believe that copyright laws have to be introduced and implemented for legitimate channels of business to prosper, but in the presence of a legal alternate. There is no foreign label selling original CDs or movies in Pakistan, and most of us will just end up downloading stuff off the Internet and burning it on CDs. Whats a ‘must-have-Scrubs-fix’ fan to do?
My DVD retailer at Laraib Music in Clifton was complaining that the government had shut down the major producers of pirated DVDs (the factories, I assume, rather than the smaller operations), and that the prices of DVDs had gone up. Given that I could normally wrangle a DVD out of these guys for Rs. 90, and they won’t budge below 120 now, I’m winding up getting seriously pissed. I agree with you completely: copyright infringement is an issue, but when there’s no alternative, what’s a body to do? I mean, no offence to DVD producers and actors the world over, but there’s no freaking way I can pay the Rs. 1200 or whatever the equivalent price would be for a “legal” DVD (if US prices are anything to go by).
Does anyone remember, back in the 1990s, when a legal CD store opened up in one of the Zamzama Commercial lanes? Even then, CDs were PRICEY, at a minimum of Rs. 500 for what the salesperson would put down as “damaged items” while pocketing his cut.
What happened to Pulse Global and RadioCity?? they used to sell legal movies.
The rule of business is that demand creates a market. So I’m sure someone will step in soon.
Rs. 90!!!!! Dude, you were being ripped off even then. I haven’t bought any DVDs for the last 6 months so I don’t know about the current prices, but before that, I used to buy DVDs for Rs. 60 from Rainbow!!
Don’t get me wrong, but it looks as if the bloggers are running short of any stimulating ideas/topics.
DVD!! In this age of cable tv, who has time to purchase and then watch a movie on a DVD.
Guys please post something stimulating. I getting bored already.
Hmm…. How do you build your movie collection thru cable TV??
Zag – I am sorry if I have hurt your’s or anyone’s elses feelings/sentiments.
You or no one has to take anyone’s comments seriously. My comments were just to ignite others’ feelings and get some positive or negative feedback.
By the way, the only collection I am interested in building, is of books’ (fictional).
Try torrents, Saba. If you have a moderately fast cable connection, torrents are your friends.
yep. same goes for software cds. i was very politely told by a cd wala this monday that he’s being very decent in selling me a cd for rs. 30. my movie wala was also complaining.
Dude, I don’t know what gave you the feeling that you have hurt my feelings…. but I just forgot to make a smiley in the end, thats all :)
sigh .. same here in rawalpindi
i spent 2 hours on sadaf cd and all i got were new movies in camera print and by new movies i mean the ones released back in feburary ..
sigh .. hey .. u a scrubs fan ? .. can we trade ..
i got all of scrubs uptill season 4 episode 20 .. i need 70s show :O
torrents used to be friends :( .. mpaa has got them down as well .. :'(
Dude, trust me. The extra Rs. 30 were well worth it, given that they saved me the aggravation of trekking out to Rainbow Centre. I have no problem paying a bit extra if I can do it at my convenience.
Torrents blow dude. At least on WorldCALL. I’m focusing on my library all over again.
yes they do .. but after suprnova went down .. only exclusive sites offer them and .. finding the one of choice is kinda pain now :(
In austria they sue you for downloading movies and songs. even though we pay taxes for every empty cd we buy to burn it with stuff, we are not allowed to download anything. if they get you, you either pay a huge amount or face jail.