Vision York Student
9th June, 1999 Issues 112
Shortlisted for the Guardian / NUS Student Newspaper of the Year
PHANTOM MENACE CAUGHT AT YORK
Ryan Sabey and Alex Watson investigate widespread piracy of the most anticipated film of the decade
PIRATE COPIES of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace are circulating around campus six weeks ahead of its official UK release date. York students have obtained Episode I, the most anticipated film of the decade, from the internet and are believed to be among the first in Britain to have seen it. Illegal bootlegs are readily available and members of the Vision Team have been offered copies for as little as £3. The quality has been described as “good, apart from the odd blip”, and
that “it was similar to watching the film on VHS”. One student told Vision he downloaded a copy on the 24th May - only five days after its American cin-
When Vision confronted them about this last Friday they declined to comment. But in a press statement Gordon Radley, President of Lucasfilm stated: “Piracy throughout the world is an Illegal bootlegs are readily extremely serious problem.” available and members of the He added: “Billions of dollars of Vision Team have been offered revenue [are] lost as a result.” The producers, Lucasfilm, are copies for as little as £3. now trying to crack down on the piracy ema release. epidemic that threatens to sweep the Last week the film’s distribu- country. tors, 20th Century Fox, claimed in The The students involved claim Times that: “No copies of the film are that the film is a victim of its own hype, available in the UK”. arguing that a universal release date
Inside your new look
York Student Vision Relationships Survey
The Matrix Reviewed
Shed Seven Interview