“Big Hy” is 92 and started bootlegging DVDs in 2004, shortly after his wife died and the wars in the Middle East were just getting underway. According to the profile, he doesn’t even know how to rip real DVDs because he uses bootlegged copies to make duplicates. He started out copying the flicks on his computer, but the operation got so popular amongst troops that he invested in a $US400 duplicator to increase output. Big Hy is himself a World War II veteran and has sent more than 4000 boxes of DVDs to Iraq and Afghanistan covering all the expenses himself. That adds up to a personal cost of some $US30,000.
Big Hy has always been careful to cover his tracks by getting rid of the evidence, and he’s really only come out of the woodwork recently because his business is dwindling now that the American commitment to those wars has been scaled back. Say whatever you want about other pirates, but the movie industry and the feds would be crazy to go after this guy. He’s a hero. [NYTimes]
Image via Andy Dean Photography/Shutterstock.com
You think the movie industry would just send em movies for free, they've made enough money using the military as the subject of their movies to more then cover any (percieced) losses!
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'but the movie industry and the feds would be crazy to go after this guy.'
This is the same industry that has went after young children and other elderly people, I would not be surprised if they did go after him, regardless of what he did.
Could you imagine all of America if not a large portion of the world boycotting any movie company that did this??
Up until it actually involved any real effort or sacrifice, sure!