Smash Pictures on Tuesday uncovered a cache of 5,000 pirated DVDs of its titles at a local warehouse, with more bootleg titles found at retail stores and warehouses around the country.
“Yesterday we found 5,000 bootleg pieces in one local distributor and they told us where they got it from and they contacted their source and it’s a [local company],” said Stuart Wall, Smash Pictures vice president.
“We’re still trying to get more information, but we’ve contacted our attorneys and they’re going to narrow down the actual source of these copies.”
Wall said the bootleg operation likely had been in place for a year and that only recently did it come to the company’s attention.
“I had calls all the way from Florida and I also heard about this from distributors and actual stores who called to say that some customers saw that the disk art looked very homemade and they immediately called the store.”
Although the company says it has good leads on the perpetrators, Wall said he wasn’t ready to release the information just yet.
Among the pirated titles found were all compilation releases such as Pussies with Attitude, Bumpin Boo’s, Ariana’s Ass Feeders, Cumfucius, Blowjob Training Camp and others.
“We were wondering why we weren’t getting that many requests for our comp titles and now we know why,” Wall said, noting that the titles were sold to distributors for just a dollar – well below the company’s asking price for such titles.
“We were fortunate that they haven’t bootlegged our new titles. They stuck to our comps.”
Wall warned that the company plans to vigorously prosecute those involved in the illegal copying of its titles.
The copies are difficult to identify until the disk is removed from the package, Wall explained.
“But when you look at the disk, the artwork on it is faded and cheap and the disk is blue, like it's from a home DVD (recorder).”
Wall urged distributors and retailers to contact Smash if they discover bootleg copies of thier titles. The company may be reached toll-free at (866) 772-7219.
