STREET WISE
Walking the line, wearing a toga
Nobody is more aware of the implications of Vietnam's entry into the World Trade Organisation (WTO) than the vendors of pirated DVDs on the streets of Hanoi.
I used to find illegal DVD shops easily, but earlier this month during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Hanoi these vendors had managed to hide their stock in the back of their shops. Some, for instance, displayed embroidered fabrics and souvenirs for passers-by. But if the vendors trusted you, they would lead you to a small and dingy backroom where piles of copycat DVDs cluttered the floor. It's uncertain how much these hustlers know about the WTO. But what they do certainly know that is after the nation's official WTO entry, they might not be able to sell their fake discs as openly as they used to. For their information: Thailand has been an official WTO member since 1995, but you can still find plenty of fake DVDs on the street. I went into one of these shops in Hanoi out of sheer journalistic curiosity, in spite of my pure intention not to support this illegal trade. One of these shops, in the centre of the city, was the favourite among the foreign community because it specialised in American TV series. The English-speaking Vietnamese owner could tell me the synopses of these shows - "Desperate Housewives", "House", "Seinfeld" and "The L Word" - most of which have yet to air on free-TV networks in Thailand. He was talking to me while glancing out to the front of his shop from time to time to see if any policemen were lurking around. These fake DVDs were wrapped in plastic bags, with covers made from bad-quality Xeroxed copies. There was a small TV set and a DVD player for buyers to briefly test their wares. I asked the shop owner about his regular customers, as I don't think they are Vietnamese. Of course, some Vietnamese might prefer American series but most would, like Thai viewers, tend to favour Japanese or Korean soaps. The black-market wizard said his main customers were embassy people, especially from English-speaking countries. Some series were made into pirated DVDs faster than copyrighted ones because they copied the shows when they were aired in the US. Others carry Chinese subtitles, indicating the origin of these discs. While I was in the shop, a Western lady came in to complain about the DVD she had just bought. The cover proclaimed "Walk the Line", but it turned out to be "Gladiator". Why was Joachin Phoenix wearing a toga?
Jeerawat@nationgroup.com
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