What is so bad about bootlegs? — Page 7

Yet you come back 10 minutes later? Ha. You said nothing constructive on this thread so...bye bye Jane.

This amuses me because you've said nothing constructive in your entire tenure here.

But my favorite quote is the one who compared the illegality of bootlegs with with gay marriage and then accused Jane and Namo of having weak reasoning.

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To be fair, there's been a lot of silliness on both sides.

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I had a professor in undergrad who argued not only against bootlegs, but against cast recordings. He said that the ability to hear the stars sing the songs outside the theatre, anytime you wanted to, had killed the art of the encore, in which people would cry out to hear songs they would never get to hear again in their lives.

How does one get a bootleg? I am out of the loop. Are there any out there of shows from long ago? (Mame, Cabaret, On a Clear Day, etc) I think bootlegs should be treasured if the shows have closed and are the only record of the shows. Mame for example was the first Broadway show Isaw and I would kill (well, not literally) to see Angela Lansbury's performance again.

I'm not sure I would call it elitist - it strikes me as utterly plebeian, this idea that "if I'm not going to get paid for it, I'd rather throw it away."

So many people have been taught to live in constant fear that something (money, power) is always just about to be taken away from them.

Bootlegs are atrocious, and if anyone knows anyone with A Chorus Line revival cast bootleg, pm me, and I will hunt those people down, get a copy, and then tell them how awful they are (if the quality sucks)!

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The few of us who have made posts supporting the artists who created the work which is bootlegged haven't really received any comments addressing the fact that technically, you are stealing and that whether or not they should be legal, they still are not.

Instead of going on and on about how wonderful bootlegs are, how about addressing my above points? Or do those points just not occur to you, or do you just not care?

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... Thanks for your view but it didn't really address the core issue: If what I am watching on the screen is copyright protected and it's not a film/taping/video authorized by all of those copyright holders in question, I am breaking the law. Aren't I? It's not a question of even *sharing* the video but just watching it would be considered illegal.

Of course, this brings us back to the question of copyright protection and theatrical designs. Are original sets, digital projections, costumes, etc. automatically copyright protected and does that right of ownership transfer over to the filming of the design.

If you are profiting by bootlegging, then you are breaking the law, yes. You cannot make money from copyrighted work.

This reminds me a little of people who eat meat and wear leather but do not believe in cruelty to animals. Since they're not the ones who were cruel to the animal, it's ok.

ok.

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And, yet, someone had to break the law to allow "like-minded individuals" to trade the videos. Are you stating for the record that you believe it should be legal for patrons to film actors (without waivers/consent forms) and film copyright protected designs for general public consumption? Regardless if they're making a profit or not?

"Jane, I believe that your points have been directly addressed by several people, perhaps just not to your satisfaction (but it's possible that you may only be satisfied by total agreement with your ideas)."

No that is not the case, meaning I am not only satisfied by total agreement with my ideas. I only remember my posts and Namo's being glossed over for the sake of extolling the virtues of bootlegs.

that is to say, "legal" does not always equal "right."

I never said that either. As usual, my point is misunderstood. It is partly due to my haste in posting and leaving out details, and partly due to people misreading. Anyway, my ONLY POINT WAS THIS - the question asked in the title of the thread is "What is so bad about bootlegs?"

My simple answer was that they are illegal, meaning THAT'S WHAT'S BAD ABOUT THEM- WHICH MEANS I WOULD WANT THEM TO BE LEGAL SO THAT THERE WOULDN'T BE ANYTHING BAD ABOUT THEM. YES, I'M YELLING THIS.

"I don't think anyone should make profit off of bootleg theatre recordings, and although I don't know anyone who does, I'm sure they exist. "

Of course they exist-Don't you know that the person who records the show most likely sells the recording?


p.s. The first ones to usually make a bootleg of a show are members of the crew.

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Updated On: 9/26/13 at 04:34 PM

Bravo. Who says satire is dead?

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But you are "stealing" the intellectual property that is put forth on the stage in both writing and designs. Just FYI.