Steven Bates of Bookery Fantasy saw our article on the MPAA's bootleg crackdown at the San Diego Comic-con (see 'MPAA Busts Dealers at Comic-Con') and likes it:

After reading ICv2's story on the MPAA cracking down on bootleg movies at San Diego Comic-Con, I have to comment.

It's about freaking time.

As a retailer setting up at conventions, nothing galled me more than watching pirates make money hand over fist selling dupes of videos, DVDs, and pirated theatrical releases.  I remember shooting down the sales of one Mid-Ohio Con dealer, who was hustling Harry Potter the week it hit theaters.  I repeatedly pointed out to potential buyers that you could clearly see the man in the front row stand up and walk in front of the screen, diminishing their enthusiasm for his 'special edition.'  Needless to say, I didn't make a new friend that weekend.  But his business model--outright theft, in my opinion--rubbed me the wrong way.

I believe convention organizers should be the first line of defense against bootleggers.  I doubt WizardWorld would allow large numbers of dealers to sell questionable quality photocopies of comic books, competing with the retailers selling real collectibles and newer releases.  Mike Goldman would not tolerate unscrupulous vendors hawking cheap knock-offs of Randy Bowen sculptures at Motor City Con.  And if Mid-Ohio Con attendees were walking out with unauthorized prints of Alex Ross lithographs, Roger Price would be sued.  So why do these, and nearly all, convention organizers allow bootleg, pirated, illegal movies?

I'm surprised the MPAA has taken this long to crack down.  The revenue lost to video/DVD piracy is phenomenal.  With sales of DVDs tanking in recent months, companies like Dreamworks and Disney have reported less-than-expected performance, and I'm sure numerous other producers of electronic media are in the same situation.  Though accurate numbers would be hard to estimate, piracy is costing these businesses many millions of dollars annually.  To the average, corporation-hating American, that means nothing.  But to any artist producing intellectual properties for public consumption, be it comics, games, books, music, or whatever, it's a big deal.  At least, it should be, if you expect your livelihood to be protected from the same sort of piracy chewing into the movie industry.  I hope the MPAA expands its efforts to curtail piracy of movies.

The opinions expressed in this Talk Back article are solely those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff of ICv2.com.