SteveAJones Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 Questionable Plant and Page DVD found on GTA store shelves BY TERRY DAVIDSON ,TORONTO SUN FIRST POSTED: FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013 06:45 PM EDT | UPDATED: FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013 09:30 PM EDT A photo of the case of the Robert Plant and Jimmy Page: Live in Japan 1996 DVD. (Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun) TORONTO - A concert DVD of a legendary rock-and-roll duo has been pulled from two of Canada’s major retail stores this week after lawyers for one of the stars declared it a bootleg. Spokesmen for both HMV and Best Buy confirmed that copies of “Robert Plant and Jimmy Page: Live in Japan 1996” are being removed from the shelves of their stores coast to coast after a lawyer for one of the aging ex-Led Zeppelin band members declared it a pirated DVD of a show the duo had done almost 20 years ago. “It is a bootleg,” confirmed lawyer George Fearon in an e-mail two days after the Toronto Sun brought the DVD to his attention. Both HMV and Best Buy are also removing a second Page and Plant DVD that was brought to Fearon’s attention as another potential bootleg. “HMV Canada is ... removing both titles from our shelves until we have proof of their legitimacy,” HMV spokesman Elyssa Macri said Friday. Prior to that decision, company president Nick Williams said that the supplier of the Live in Japan 1996 DVD, Koch Entertainment, had told HMV that the product is legitimate and it could be sold legally in Canada. Koch Entertainment could not be reached for comment. Best Buy made the decision to pull the DVDs on Wednesday. “This is not something that we or our vendor partners were aware of but we are now removing these titles from our stores,” Best Buy’s Danielle Jang said. After being approached by the Sun on Tuesday, Fearon, a lawyer for guitarist Page, said he planned to approach authorities in the music business about the sale of the Live in Japan DVD. “We’re going to forward (this) to the Warner (record label) group ... and our publisher for the songs, and recommend they institute the appropriate enforcement proceedings ... Thank you for pointing it out to us, and we’ll pursue it,” Fearon said from his office in New York. Richard Pfohl of Music Canada said his organization approached the Canadian distributor of the Live in Japan DVD in July with concerns around its authenticity after receiving a complaint from a consumer. Pfohl said he was “not at liberty” to confirm the name of the distributor, but that “they dropped it immediately” from their catalogue and stopped distributing it in Canada. However, the DVD, at least temporarily, remained on some store shelves. “Now, there ... may be copies still out there because my understanding is the retailers don’t necessarily return all of those copies, so there may be copies on the shelves that are still for sale,” Pfohl said. He also said officials with Warner Music Canada, a record label that would legally be able to distribute Page and Plant material in Canada, had confirmed with him the Live in Japan DVD was not licensed by Warner. Warner Music Canada spokesman Steve Waxman said the DVD is not a Warner title. Terry Stephenson, a Led Zeppelin fan who attended Page and Plant concerts around the world in the mid-1990s, claims to have been the one who recorded the 1996 show in Tokyo. The San Diego resident said in an e-mail that he had the band’s permission to record the show and that he shared VHS cassette copies with the band, fellow fans and collectors. At no point, he said, was it meant to be for sale, but reckons that it was copied by bootleggers at some point, packaged and sold to the masses. Live in Japan 1996 appears to be recorded from someone in the audience. It is out of focus at times, and is filmed from the same centre-stage vantage point throughout the performance with the camera zooming in from time to time. There are no opening or closing credits. There is also no copyright information or distribution details on the packaging, save for a small, vague copyright warning circling the edge of the disc. There is also a disclaimer on the back cover stating that because of the “age” of the original recording, “the video production can fluctuate.” The Live in Japan DVD could be bought in HMV stores in Ontario cities such as Toronto, Mississauga, and Ottawa, as well as Winnipeg, Edmonton and Nanaimo, B.C. as recently as last Tuesday. It could also be bought in Best Buy stores in Red Deer, Toronto and Dartmouth. HMV employees from various stores said the DVD had been discontinued in late July, meaning that HMV would no longer be receiving copies of it from its supplier. Still, copies remained on store shelves. HMV in downtown Toronto was selling it for around $20; Best Buy for $15. ******** Being an aging multi-millionaire rock ‘n’ roll icon hasn’t stopped Jimmy Page from fighting for his right to protect what he has created. It was back in July of 2007 that the former Led Zeppelin guitarist was the star witness in the Glasgow trial of Robert Langley, a long-time Zeppelin fan accused of selling bootleg CDs and DVDs of live performances by the band. Langley, who was ultimately convicted of trademark and copyright infringements, had been caught selling the items at a popular Scottish music fair, according to reports by the BBC. “The legitimate part is where fans trade music, but once you start packaging it up and you do not know what you are getting, you are breaking the rules legally and morally,” Page, now 69, reportedly told the court. “If you have something like this that appears legitimate, then it is just not right.” At the time, an official from the British Phonographic Industry called Langley, then 58, a “notorious” music pirate who had once dominated the small-time bootlegging scene. Page’s lawyer, George Fearon, told the Toronto Sun this week Page remains steadfast in protecting the Led Zeppelin brand and its music, as well as his own solo work and collaborations. “(Page has) worked very hard over the years to develop a reputation in this business, and he wants to do what he can, when he can, to help enforce and protect the rights of himself and his colleagues,” Fearon said from his office in New York. “Jimmy is very … meticulous about the quality of both audio and audio-visual recordings that represent his work.” http://www.torontosun.com/2013/08/30/questionable-plant-and-page-dvd-found-on-gta-store-shelves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reswati Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 Lol, though Steve can't read this reply from me..........nice that he posted this anyway. I actually bought this dvd yesterday. Could anyone actually specify on which of the Tokyo dates it was recorded? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted August 31, 2013 Author Share Posted August 31, 2013 Update on this news story: Live in Japan 1996 and Travelers of Time and Space Live in Japan 1996 is the February 13, 1996 Tokyo, Japan show. Travelers of Time and Space is the September 27, 1995 Las Cruces, New Mexico show. Both dvds are just pirated copies of the original Third Eye Productions bootleg releases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FunkyPhantom Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 " after a lawyer for one of the aging ex-Led Zeppelin band members declared" What the hell is that? Is it wrong of them to get old? Is this a necessary adjective to put in this sentence? What a crock of shit writer... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudslider Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 Mr. Fearon and Mr Page should take a look at EBAY. I have mixed feelings about "Bootlegs". Enjoy listening to live shows, both in the present and days gone by, but I certainly understand how any given artisits may feel exploited; both financially and artistically. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheStairwayRemainsTheSame Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 they all write aging now the idiots so annoying. This is actually quite funny that these stupid corporations don't do there homework, hope he sues them i'm glad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pottedplant Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 I thought I might be the only one that was annoyed with the "old" and "aging" rock star shit. And, oh yeah, the multimillionaire stab. Like why would an old, filthy rich, rock star care about someone selling his music, even if it's illegal. I hope Jimmy and Robert get big bucks after they sue the crap out of these people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melcórë Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 I've tried to bring people's attention to these bootlegs in the past...maybe not on this site, though. There are many being sold, and not just at HMV and Best Buy -- I bought both of the DVDs in question (as well as a third, and a Muse one) at my Walmart. There is another bootleg of a German show; so far, I haven't seen that in stores, and only online. There's even a copy of the 1977 Seattle show. One of the DVDs (I can't remember which) is odd: It features pro-shot video, but an audience-recorded soundtrack. (Maybe I'm wrong, actually, and the video is just exceptional aud...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheStairwayRemainsTheSame Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 It must be much better controlled in the UK as I have never seen a bootleg in any commercial store, ever. I dread to think how it must be in Japan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted September 1, 2013 Author Share Posted September 1, 2013 It must be much better controlled in the UK as I have never seen a bootleg in any commercial store, ever. I dread to think how it must be in Japan Western artists are fair game for bootleg releases but the Japanese artists (J-Pop) are protected. The most popular artists for bootleg releases are Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glyn Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 A Best Buy in southern California had Knebworth playing on their video monitors one time - and it wasn't from DVD. I've never seen a bootleg for sale in any big chain store here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingzoso Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 Not that this really matters, however, I have 2 Page/Plant dvds from Their 1996 Japanese jaunt: 1). Page/Plant: 2/13/1996 in Tokyo 2). Page/Plant: 2/15/1996 in Osaka. Here is a clip of Them playing the never before played "Tea For One" (during Led Zeppelin's Reign) and the equally obscure song played on any of the two tours, 1995 and 1996. Very Beautiful!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melcórë Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 Western artists are fair game for bootleg releases but the Japanese artists (J-Pop) are protected. The most popular artists for bootleg releases are Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton. That's wild. Are the prices in-store any less expensive than what the online peddlers charge? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggie29 Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 In general, Asians don't recognise copyright law or accept it to the extent that we in the west do. Bali, Indonesia is a classic example as you can get just about anything on bootleg DVD's but they are dodgy and don't always work. We used to have an online store called VideoEzy and once they sold a bootleg of Led Zeppelin at Earls Court, which I purchased and not without trepidation. Their outlet stores have since closed down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggie29 Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 In general, Asians don't recognise copyright law or accept it to the extent that we in the west do. Bali, Indonesia is a classic example as you can get just about anything on bootleg DVD's but they are dodgy and don't always work. We used to have an online store called VideoEzy and once they sold a bootleg of Led Zeppelin at Earls Court, which I purchased and not without trepidation. Their outlet stores have since closed down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggie29 Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 In general, Asians don't recognise copyright law or accept it to the extent that we in the west do. Bali, Indonesia is a classic example as you can get just about anything on bootleg DVD's but they are dodgy and don't always work. We used to have an online store called VideoEzy and once they sold a bootleg of Led Zeppelin at Earls Court, which I purchased and not without trepidation. Their outlet stores have since closed down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggie29 Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 In general, Asians don't recognise copyright law or accept it to the extent that we in the west do. Bali, Indonesia is a classic example as you can get just about anything on bootleg DVD's but they are dodgy and don't always work. We used to have an online store called VideoEzy and once they sold a bootleg of Led Zeppelin at Earls Court, which I purchased and not without trepidation. Their outlet stores have since closed down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheStairwayRemainsTheSame Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 Western artists are fair game for bootleg releases but the Japanese artists (J-Pop) are protected. The most popular artists for bootleg releases are Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton. Yeah thought Led might be the highest and rightfully so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cecil. Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 While I fully support the band members right to protect their work, I also admit to on occasion purchasing non-official releases from stores. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toutpleindamour Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 ^ oh, Jimmy does the same too. Or at least he visits the stores and tries to get them for free, it's his music after all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted September 1, 2013 Author Share Posted September 1, 2013 That's wild. Are the prices in-store any less expensive than what the online peddlers charge? Pricing on new bootleg releases either in stores or online is pretty much the same but the stores are usually offering some great deals on older releases. I was in the bootleg district earlier today and the hot new release is that Led Zeppelin Acetates cd...it's priced at around 3,000 yen which is about $30.00. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggie29 Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 What's with the multiple postings? It wasn't me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melcórë Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 Pricing on new bootleg releases either in stores or online is pretty much the same but the stores are usually offering some great deals on older releases. I was in the bootleg district earlier today and the hot new release is that Led Zeppelin Acetates cd...it's priced at around 3,000 yen which is about $30.00. Hmm, so about the same extortionate pricing as the official Japanese releases, then... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADOC Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 What's with the multiple postings? It wasn't me! Run security...good sign of a virus! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirchzep27 Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 As long as theres an extra nickel to be drained from page and plant...with the red maple leaf behind it. But seriously, i dont remember major record stores, like tower back in 90s selling any bootlegs. There was the video cassette of outtakes from tsrts, but that was taken off shelves fast. I guess alot of artists missed out on that heyday back in the 90s, where they could have sold tons of live stuff, such a different market these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.