the US embassy in Brunei recently released a Nat Geo movie called Illicit: The Dark Trade. i read it in the papers. i think there’s going to be a screening at UBD (Universiti Brunei Darussalam). at the media launch, the US rep touched on pirated DVDs in Brunei, how Brunei needs to do more, blabla. i don’t blame him or the US govt for being worried. as a creative person with a bf who’s a composer/musician … i am concerned about it.

in Brunei, though, you can find these pirated DVDs or VCDs everywhere, in the shopping malls, in shops … it’s not undercover like in Malaysia. since the malaysian govt began a campaign against piracy, it’s really difficult to find pirated stuff. stimes, those guys (the Jinjang type) would set up a makeshift stall in a dark corner … like the one near 7-11 in damansara perdana. don’t know whether they are still there though. most of the time, you get crap stuff. stimes, they’d come up to you while you’re eating at the stalls. i guess, msians and bruneians think this issue is trivial. these people come to you. you don’t have to park your car to go rent a movie. how convenient is that? BUT everyone should be aware of the dark side of the industry … i was told by an ex colleague, a Chinese … that these pirated DVD sellers practise a type of dark magic where they collect menstrual blood for their ritual … i dunno what for, maybe to be invincible or sthing. they can be really dangerous. i know enforcement officers have been hurt when trying to wipe out their business.

anyway, in brunei it seems enforcement in difficult. this is what the minister told the media. i dunno how difficult it can be coz brunei is tiny. and the stuff is right out there in broad daylight. the minister also said because not a lot of bruneians hold copyrights, the issue doesn’t seem to be too crucial or sthing like that. ie, it’s not so pressing to deal with.

anyway, i bought a DVD set of House the other day at Gadong Centrepoint. It looks authentic. honestly, i don’t know whether it’s pirated or not. hard to tell, here because all the shops i go to have a mix of stuff. some original. then, they have those 4-in-1 offerings, and they even arrange these groups of movies alphabetically according to names of actors. if you like cate blanchett, you can buy a 4-in-1 set for just i think $4 to $6.

but i have to say, that the pirated stuff here is of better quality than the ones in Malaysia. that is total ripoff.

in the meantime, for expats … DVDs are a lifesaver. esp if you don’t have a life! LOLOLOL!

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/illicittrade/

you know what would be really sick? if they sell pirated copies of Illicit. that would be major sick! groaaan …