And before you even think about it... no, I don't have underground connections or anything like that... pirated stuff are readily available in the country... we are talking about stores upon stores open to the public. For example, with regards to computer software, there is this place called Imbi Plaza, located in the heart of the city. The entire building is known for its cheap software and hardware... the software is displayed prominently for anyone and everyone to see and buy. They don't hide the pirated software... why should they? I don't think that the authorites really care. I mean, everyone who is into computers knows about Imbi... it isn't a dark secret or anything like that. Every once in a while you read about the cops raiding the place but I can guarantee you that on the very next day, the stores will have they new stock ready for selling.
Anyways, I am digressing from my story here. I want to tell you about videos and VCDs (Video Compact Discs) in this country. It costs on average RM8 per person to go to the movies... which are already censored (even the word "fuck" is censored... not to mention kisses)... and pretty badly at that. It isn't uncommon for the censors to muck up and censor the wrong word or the entire f**king sentence! Anyways, the cost of the same movie, on video is RM10, or RM15 for the VCD version (but these prices are negeotiable... if you are a "regular", the prices go down even further). These pirated versions of the movies are out BEFORE the actual movie comes out! No kidding! Plus, the range is better than what is allowed in the cinemas. For example, the movie "Babe" wasn't permitted for public viewing simply because it is about a pig which is an animal strictly avoided by Muslims. Babe was available in the "stores" however 
.
Where do these movies come from? Well, I have no idea. But let me tell you that some of the copies are REALLY bad... it isn't uncommon for the movie to be recorded in the cinema... this is somewhat irritating I can tell you, particularly if the camera person does't know what he / she is doing. I have seen copies of movies eg. Rumble in the Bronx or Face Off with a person's head right in the middle of the screen! What is the camera person thinking? You just know it is a cinema copy when someone gets up to go to the bathroom or when people start clapping and / yelling. I have seen a copy of a movie where there is this person's head quite prominently displayed and I think that he / she has a bad case of lice or dandruff or something.
Then of course, you get the little messages displayed occasionally... something like "this copy is not for sale / rental. If you have done so, please call etc". These copies are usually the better ones... possibly the demo versions of the movie.
Now, in all probability, 75% of the copies being sold are of inferior quality... sometimes, the sound and the image don't match up, the picture is blurred, static everywhere etc. Why do people still buy them? Well, because they can bloody return the video or VCD if they aren't happy with it. I don't know how these people do business. You ask the vendor if the copy is clear or not... the vendor will tell you whether it is a cinema copy or laser disc etc. You naturally stay away from the cinema copy... then, sometimes, the laser disc copy is infact trash ie. the copier didn't know what he / she was doing and the sound doesn't match the image... sometimes, half the movie is missing. You can return the copy... no questions asked. No kidding. The vendors don't care if you return it or not seeing that they aren't the ones producing it. If it gets returned, they just return it to their source. I think that they are salaried or something. Which brings to another question... the manufacturers... don't they care that more than half their stuff gets returned? Isn't it bad for business to pirate a bad copy of a movie?
Piracy is a way of life in this country... and whilst I am not proud of the fact that I buy pirated stuff (mostly videos) I console myself with the thought that "hey... at least I am helping someone make a living". Well, that is part of the reason... it's just that pirated stuff is so much cheaper and readily available anywhere... there are three video and VCD outlets camped outside the local 7-Eleven for gawd's sake. When I go to the 7-Eleven at night to buy some smokes, sometimes I feel like watching a movie so I pick one up... these vendors lay their goods on the floors outside the 7-Eleven... and they are usually open till about 1am. I have seen cops go into the 7-Eleven for one reason or another and actually say HI to these vendors.
Why do I buy pirated movies? Well, I like to watch a movie where tattoos aren't censored, vulgarity isn't censored (come on... EVERYONE knows that "fuck" and "shit" are vulgar words"), kissing isn't censored etc. I like to watch what I want to watch and not what the government tells me I can watch. I like watching movies where half the screen isn't covered by badly written subtitles in Malay, Chinese AND Indian. If there is partial nudity on the screen... I want to see that. If a lady is wearing a bikini... I want to see that. If a male is in a g-string... oh YEAH... I want to see that .
Well, that is a little Malaysian culture for you... hey.. paying RM35 for a copy of Windows 97 sure beats paying RM1000 + for an operating system which hangs like you wouldn't believe right?
