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90 lines
4.7 KiB
Plaintext
90 lines
4.7 KiB
Plaintext
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NEWSFLASH - CUSTOMS RAIDS/CONFISCATION OF COPIERS IN UNITED KINGDOM
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===================================================================
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2ND SEPTEMBER 1992
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(Typing by Executioner/Quartex - Information by Lonestar, Zorro & Stryper)
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This is not a wind-up piss take file, but is admittedly pretty sketchy...
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The long and short of this story however is that Nintendo have finally
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taken steps to prevent the importing of Super Magicom's.... It is not yet
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clear about the situation of the Super Magic Drive's (Sega copier)..
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but I guess that will soon be the same.
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It came to our attention about 3 days ago that Nintendo have begun
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issuing writs against anyone importing Super Magicom's (or any other
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Nintendo copier/adaptor).. as part of the 'infringement of copyright
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- by illegal usage of the operating system' (or words to that effect).
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In the first reported case of an importer from East London, 45 units
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were confiscated at Customs - never to be seen again... usually in
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the case of confiscated items - legal things are auctioned, illegal items
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are destroyed -- Money back? No chance... The importer is free to
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appeal but is unlikely to win over such a powerful company - especially
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as the copiers do not really have much of a 'legal' purpose.
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As you can imagine, this importer who expected to make quite a large
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sum of money - is devastated.
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In another case of Customs holding copiers, in the Midlands, the units
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WERE returned - pending an investigation... but only after the client
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personally went down to complain.... it will be interesting to see what
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happens here.
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In the last case, in the North of England, after being told to collect
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the goods from Customs, the third customer visited Customs & Excise and
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picked up the goods. While loading the goods into the back of his car,
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he was held by Customs and had his vehicle searched under 'warrant'.
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100 disks of pirated console games were also found in the back
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seat, ready to be taken and delivered to waiting buyers. A writ had
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been issued by Nintendo, but Customs could only act on it AFTER
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the goods had been collected by the person involved. It is not
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known what will happen about the 100 disks, but the copiers were
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confiscated - never to reappear.
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....Each separate case has been told to me by DIFFERENT people, and yet
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the stories all match up with the same result - so I have no doubt
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that these stories are real. Infact in the next few days I expect to
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hear more cases.. and also read about it in the trade and consumer press.
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Obviously if Customs do not check the incoming consignment, everything
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will be okay - we can still continue selling them in the same way as normal
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.. Even if Nintendo know we are selling them, they cannot go to
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Customs - Customs can only confiscate items from the person who actually
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imported it. Then it is a case for the police or FAST.. and at the
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moment they don't seem to be doing anything about it (this MUST change
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soon.. and I am sure it will).
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However, it is the main concern that most people will not RISK importing
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them in case they ARE checked.. or will otherwise import in VERY SMALL
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packages.. and that will mean much more expense in shipping charges -- both
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ways can only mean PRICE INCREASES... and that is not a good thing for
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anyone.
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The only advice at the moment will be to stay with things and see what
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happens - and if you are planning on buying a copier, get it quickly
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while the prices are as they are.. they may go UP not down in the future.
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As for people importing in other countries -- I suppose it is only a matter
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of time until Nintendo do the same there.... so keep those eyes peeled
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.. and watchout for your next shipment of copiers.... you may or may not
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ever get to see them!!
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As a final postscript, may I thank Quazar of KCC (a.k.a. Neil
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of S.N.Software) - who nicely thought of informing the UK magazines
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about the Super Magicom.. advertising all the features - how it copied
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everything and where to get them from [even saying to people you
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were the first to ever get them]... It is thanks to you that everyone
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in the WORLD console scene has these hassles -- are you proud to have
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made so many enemies in such a short time.. maybe you'll be entered into
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the World Record books....... Thats if Front Fareast and their Triad's
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don't get to you first...
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Greetings to the REAL console dudes from:
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Fairlight/Magical PONG
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UCCI High Society
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Crystal/AFL Legend
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Crionics TLPI (RIP.. or is it?!)
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