bootleggers

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Alaska Pilot Loses $95K Plane Over 6-Pack of Beer

State's top court upholds punishment for trying to bring alcohol to dry community

(Newser) - Confiscating a $95,000 plane over a six-pack of beer isn't an "unconstitutionally excessive" or "grossly disproportionate" punishment, Alaska's top court has decided. The Alaska Supreme Court has ruled against retired pilot Kenneth Jouppi in a case that goes back to 2012, the New York Times...

NASCAR Track Might Actually Have a Moonshine Cave Beneath It

Large open area found underneath North Wilkesboro Speedway in NC

(Newser) - "We'd often hear stories of how an old moonshine still was operated here on the property under the grandstands," says a VP at Speedway Motorsports about North Carolina's North Wilkesboro Speedway. CBS Sports calls it an "urban legend," but it turns out those stories...

She Tried to Sell a Clapton Bootleg for $11. He Filed Suit

German court rules in favor of rock star in copyright infringement case

(Newser) - A German judge has sided with Eric Clapton in a copyright infringement case that started with a CD being listed on eBay for just over $11. Deutsche Welle reports that on Wednesday, a Duesseldorf regional court ruled a 55-year-old widow who'd tried to sell a bootlegged CD of some...

Illegal Winery Discovered at Unlikely Spot

Cops busted it at a municipal sewage plant in Alabama

(Newser) - Sheriff's officials say they've busted an illegal winery that was operating at a municipal sewage plant in a small Alabama town. The DeKalb County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that it received an anonymous tip about an alcohol operation at a municipal building in the town...

Genius Idea Gets Busted: Booze Pipeline

Ukraine officials find pipeline trying to send bootleg alcohol into Moldova

(Newser) - The details are scant thus far, but this is not your daddy's pipeline: Authorities in Ukraine say they have foiled plans to ship bootleg alcohol from Moldova to Ukraine via a pipeline, reports the AP . The SBU security service said on Tuesday that border guards in the country's...

Cinemas May Be Watching You With Night Vision Goggles

In the UK, it's part of an effort to crack down on movie piracy

(Newser) - When the new 007 film Spectre hits UK theaters next month, James Bond won't be the only one with cool spy gear. The Telegraph reports theater staff equipped with "military-style night-vision goggles" will patrol screenings looking for would-be bootleggers. "The bigger the film and the more anticipated...

Prince Sues 22 Bootleggers for $1M Each

Not all fans happy with singer's move

(Newser) - Prince takes bootlegging seriously—very seriously. He's suing 22 people who allegedly posted his live performances online, and he wants $1 million from each of them, the Independent reports. The lawsuit claims the fans posted bootleg copies of the performances—some of which are from as long ago as...

India Raids Bootleggers Amid Toxic Booze Deaths

Death toll hits 170, a dozen arrested

(Newser) - Police raided dozens of liquor dens and illegal distilleries in eastern India today, arresting a dozen people, as more and more people fell ill thanks to illegal methanol-tainted booze . Police are still searching for the mastermind behind the operation, a district magistrate tells the AP . So far 170 people have...

Chinese Retail's Latest Rip-Off: Ikea

Part of a movement to cash in on established brands

(Newser) - Why create knock-offs of specific items when you can knock off an entire brand? A warehouse store in China called 11 Furniture has adopted almost everything from Ikea—from staged rooms and minimalist furniture designs to tiny pencils and an in-store restaurant. It's part of a rapidly growing market...

Apple Wants to Block Your iPhone Camera at Concerts

Technology uses infrared signal to prevent filming events

(Newser) - Apple has filed a patent on technology that could ensure you never see someone filming a concert or sporting event on an iPhone again. The technology would allow live event venues to install infrared transmitters that could trigger an infrared sensor in any iPhone held aloft within range, shutting off...

Twilight 'Bootlegger' Sues Theater After Jail Stint

Suit says she suffered emotional distress

(Newser) - An Illinois woman who spent 2 days in jail for taping part of Twilight: New Moon is suing the movie theater that ratted her out. Samantha Tumpach, 22, says she wasn’t trying to pirate the movie; she was out celebrating with friends, and the video she shot was primarily...

DVD Pirates Outwit Hollywood
DVD Pirates Outwit Hollywood
Oct 26, 2007 7:18 AM CDT

DVD Pirates Outwit Hollywood

Pre-release bootlegging on the rise despite studio security measures

(Newser) - The high-profile Oscar hopeful American Gangster opens next week—but it's already available as a pirated DVD for $5 or for free via internet file-sharing sites. American Gangster is the latest example of the upper hand that bootleggers have gained of late in their war against security measures, the Wall ...

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