Canal street raid

[Pugwash]

Okay, you're the bigger geek. What a "RSS feed"?

Think Podcast only with albums.

[hiker01]

I don't know about you guys, but have you heard about a place called .......your local "library"! Our's carry every music CD and DVD made! If they don't have it, request and they'll order it for you!

Then you rip!!!! Easy.....no bandwidth requirements, just Terabytes of space!

[By-Tor]

Interesting info all... but at the same time so naughty naughty... and useless.

You see, as a forum moderator I have to maintain certain moral standards... so I buy all my CD's and DVD's at full price.

But just out of curiosity... what's the exact URL of this "Library"?

[takashi]

talking about piracy... Many venues of them; newsgroup, bittorrent, IRC, direct download, buy it on the (pirated disc) shop, etc.

Heck even you can use internal P2P software run on your intranet. You can always find things that you want (movies, softwares, music, porn, games, etc.).

EDIT: I do buy original DVDs, SACDs and BluRay disc.. Not software, usually I got them sponsored.

Edited February 26, 2008 by takashi

[freddy333]

You're assuming this forum is based in the US. Bad assumption.

For example, look how useless the RIAA has been at shutting down allofmp3 or piratebay.

I know the site is not hosted in the US & the RIAA cannot stop everyone, but they did eliminate the rampant downloading that was occurring before they brought their suits. Based on experience, I stand by my comments.

Victoria - I doubt anyone will find me by way of a doctored picture -- ask anyone who has met me.

[freddy333]

Think Podcast only with albums.

Think Podcast with a packet sniffer.

[Pugwash]

Think Podcast with a packet sniffer.

...over SSL?

[anton]

They finally figured out why there's so many Chinese Nationals and they're all over the place...students, contractors, research assistants, even working in Government posts........it's gonna get tighter!

And now back to the issue at hand...

are you assuming that all Chinese Nationals are involved in some type of counterfeiting industry? that, my friend, is conspiracy theory at its' finest.

besides, I think we all know how the US Government operates. If they can't figure out a way to make money off us, why not make it illegal right? I know that the essence of combating the "counterfeiting industries" is to protect the Intellectual Properties of its' designer. But let's say that hypothetically, in a perfect world, all these "counterfeit" items came into the shores as novelty items and nothing else, thus being legal, thus having to be taxed by the government. I see no raids there.

[Toadtorrent]

HAH HAH...nice pic...that's the best way to get watches into the US...I hurt sitting just thinking about it...

[Toadtorrent]

Face it. We're all living on borrowed time with this hobby.

That's why your most amazing collection is like stockpiling for armageddon.

[anton]

Face it. We're all living on borrowed time with this hobby.

It all depends on variables.

Variable 3: That governments do not get REALLY serious about cracking down on counterfeiting.

Victoria,

That must be THE UGLIEST avatar you have selected, ever. And I'm possibly counting the future. Heaven forbid you look like that. Then you need to stay in the house. Lights off and blinds shut.

We see the half-a s sed efforts the governments take on "cracking down" on counterfeit goods, but it never stops. Maybe it might slow down, but it'll never stop. Do you all remember that one picture of that man who steamrolled all those reps on the road? (I can't remember where it came from).

I think it just creates media frenzy and puts a slightly positive tone to the government(s) participating in the raids. Look at how concerned we are getting about the canal st. raids when maybe but a few of us buy our reps there.

So should we worry? Not, since someone is already working on a way to get the reps back out there.

[hiker01]

And now back to the issue at hand...

are you assuming that all Chinese Nationals are involved in some type of counterfeiting industry? that, my friend, is conspiracy theory at its' finest.

Of course not......but we know that the Chinese gov't sponsor a lot of their people to come to the US and Europe to spy on every aspect of the western

world. They are told to work in universities, different industries and gov't agencies....and that's all i could say on this topic!

[Victoria]

Victoria,

That must be THE UGLIEST avatar you have selected, ever. And I'm possibly counting the future. Heaven forbid you look like that. Then you need to stay in the house. Lights off and blinds shut.

I'll thank you not to talk about my boyfriend in this fashion, Anton!

Hey, T liked it. And we all know his comedic sense is infallible.

I think it just creates media frenzy and puts a slightly positive tone to the government(s) participating in the raids. Look at how concerned we are getting about the canal st. raids when maybe but a few of us buy our reps there.

I'm not sure what is going to happen in the immediate future. I think it might be avarice, and not government crackdown, which might bring down the rep trade -- albeit temporarily.

Already I can imagine certain high-end collectors, I don't need to mention names, who are obviously savvier than most, that are thinking of the day when they'll get out of this racket.

How many bribes would such a person, be willing to dole out? Can you imagine the amount of protection, both security and of the official kind, they must not have? Who is going to raise a family in such a way -- for REPLICA WATCHES?

What I'm saying here, is that we might be living through a rep watch bubble. A Golden Age of Reps. Sure there will be others who will step in to take over, but the kind of watches we see, the kind of watches WE HERE EXPECT...

Well, who knows how long that will last.

The Canal St. Hoolops and Loleks will always be around. But I'm not sure about the Super Reps, how ever misnamed they are.

I'm sure by now most people here know there is a very rich guy who has a hobby. And that hobby finances our rep addiction. When he moves on...? *shrug*

@Hike: Speaking of avatars, LOL! at yours.

[robertk]

Victoria, I wouldn't worry about it. If the crackdown comes (and someday it will), it ain't happening tomorrow. Maybe next year? who knows? Even then, they will still be available. Where there's a buyer there will always be a seller. Maybe they'll move to Tibet?

This conversation has been going on since 2003 when everyone was starting to see "amazing reps" for that time.....and we're still here "seeing amazing reps" for now.

[anton]

I'll thank you not to talk about my boyfriend in this fashion, Anton!

Hey, T liked it. And we all know his comedic sense is infallible.

Wow, i thought that was a woman! Then i take it back! The funniest avatar I've seen of you so far is the one with the legomen and the floppydisk.

I went by that corner of Broadway and Canal Sts. today. That area is leased by Sleepy's and they had been trying to get those vendors out of there for awhile now so they could start building a first floor (or an entrance at least) to their showroom, which is located on the second floor.

It was stark empty today and no hustle and bustle. I still saw some of the vendors (solicitators) out there and they were hollering at me over like a tourist (could be my Texas Tech hat). Only things I could see were pasmina scarves and umbrellas.

I'll be there tomorrow and I'll try to get some shots in. Since I forgot my real-camera, you'll all have to suffice with some cameraphone shots.

@ 12:12PM

I couldn't get in any meaningful pictures; it didn't help that most of Canal St. is still boarded up. It's like walking right into a ghost town.