Earlier this week, a group of anime bootleggers in Hong Kong was sentenced by local authorities to 42 months in prison after it was caught in an investigation that took place in January 2005. The private Japanese industry group Content Overseas Distribution Association (CODA) announced the sentence to the press. CODA was formed in 2005 to fight the piracy of Japanese media, DVDs, and other content in foreign countries. The bootleggers were caught by local investigators from the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department (C&ED). The bootleggers were in possession of over 40,000 pirated DVDs of the Gundam anime and other anime content. Currently, the Hong Kong C&ED is motioning to seize assets totaling 40 million Hong Kong Dollars (over 5 million US Dollars) possessed by the leader of the bootlegging group. However, this process has been delayed as the party charged with the crime awaits an appeal, citing an unfair verdict. This announcement comes two months after another arrest by the Hong Kong C&ED where four bootleggers were arrested for pirating Astro Boy DVDs and other anime.
Now this is what happens when you try to be a pirate. Only Stephanie should ever be allowed to be a Pirate. At least untill she turns 18. On a sidenote, 42 months is like 3,5 years (yeah, all praise my uber elite math skills), and it seems to me a bit too short for the charge of piracy. In other countries, gaming piracy is punishable with much more than that (up to 10 years in the U.S.), plus a special and confortable jail room filled with horny black people who like to take showers. In the ass.
I'm having some trouble associating Hong Kong (and by extension China) with the idea of justice. If fact any country name that starts with "People's Republic of..." should tell you straight away to stay the fuck out!