CD pirate... terkena!

Aku ingatkan CD pirate ni ada kat Malaysia dan sekitarnya aje. Rupa-rupanya orang Australia pun terkena jugak! Aku beli CD ni dari eBay Australia:

NAGLFAR Pariah
Item description: NORWEGIAN METAL TAKING A PROGGY TWIST - BORKNAGAR SURPRISE AGAIN. 2006 ALBUM. AN OPETH FEEL AT TIMES, ALWAYS INTERESTING

BORKNAGAR Origin
Item description: NAGLFAR KEEPING IT HEAVY ON THIS,ONE OF THEIR KEY ALBUMS.

Takde pun mentioned yang ianya adalah Asian pressed (selalunya nak mengatakan benda ni pirated). So aku beli dengan baik sangka.

Alangkah terkejutnya bila aku buka sampul pakej, terkeluar dua buah CD pirate! Lantas aku email kepada penjual:

"Hi I received the CDs today. However I am not satisfied since the CDs were Chinese pressed which I suspect are the pirated version of the original. There is no mention of this in your selling description. I would like to have a full refund."

Yang mana kemudiannya penjual membalas:
"Hello there, I'm sorry that you are dissatissfied with the Cds - but don't worry, they are originals. They were originally bought from a reputable store in Thailand. But the fact that they were printed there does not mean that the CDs are not official product. Why would Asian retailers import CDs from Europe? Australian retailers don't - they usually print them here. Furthermore I have never seen a pirate CD include full artwork (including slipcases). Pirates work on quantity, not quality. I hope you are happy with this explanation. However, if you are still unhappy, I will refund, less the postage. I am very confident that these CDs are official product, regardless of where they were printed. all the best, Ben"

Nasib baik dia akan buat refund! Itu pun aku jadi rugi sebab bila aku pos balik kat dia kena belanja sendiri. Tapi OK la dari menyimpan benda yang worthless camnih! Kalau aku rajin aku akan balas email dia dengan description bagaimana nak tau CD tu pirate dengan mukaddimah "Hi Ben, I lived in Malaysia for all my life and I know a pirate CD when I see one..." Hahaha...
First indication, tu ada stamping chinese words kat slipcase tu. Lepas tu ikut kata Ben dia kata CD tu printed kat Thailand macam CD yang dok ada kat Australia ni pun banyak local pressed. BEZANYA ialah, yang local sini licensed by company macam SHOCK Records. Sedangkan kat CD pirate ni takde print pun SIAPA yang jadi licensee. Seolah-olah Century Media memang print kat Thailand. Another thing ialah dia punya printing, punya la teruk. Blur seblurnya. Seolah-olah hang scan dari booklet original lepas tu hantar kedai printing. Dengan senget-senget lagi aduh!

CD Naglfar ni lagi satu indication unik ialah kat belakang tu tulis "Manufacture by Toy's Factory, Tokyo, Japan". Konon Japanese pressed la. Siap ada bonus track lagi tu! Malangnya chinese letter kat depan tu bagi hint. Mana logik Japanese release print chinese words! Hahahah... Printing memang out, blur gila, senget-senget...

Moralnya, berhati-hati bila membeli dari eBay. Nasib baik aku beli local nak pulang balik pun takde la kos tinggi sangat. Kalau jauh? Jenuh wooo....

Aku punya final reply sebelum hantar balik CD tu:

"Hi, I am from Malaysia and I living there surrounded by pirated materials, I know a pirate when I see one ;)

How to know if it's pirated?
1. It is printed in China/Thailand/Malaysia whatever but no mentioned of the "licensing company" as in to what SHOCK Rec did. You can't reprint a CD without that.

2. Even if it's printed, like ASIALINK, a notorious pirate company in Malaysia, the office address mentioned in the cover does not exist!

3. Printing is blur as such that it was scanned from the original booklet and straight sent to the printing shop! Very obvious in these two CDs.

4. The Naglfar is said to be printed by Toy Factory, Japan meaning it's a Japanese release. But on the slipcase, there is chinese lettering. Japanese releases never had any chinese lettering but japanese lettering. Very obvious! Again very bad printing.

I will send it back today and I'll be expecting my full refund. I don't have any qualm over you and I treat you as not having enough knowledge."