WWYD- Illegal Movies

[puffkin]

Our new neighbors moved in over the winter. Their backyard faces ours. Earlier in the spring we met them when we were out playing with the kids and they mentioned that they wanted to host neighborhood movie nights in the summer. Apparently they had a projector a really cool outdoor screen. Sure enough, a few weeks ago, we got a flyer in our mailbox about the Saturday night movies.

DS9 has wanted to stop by but we are insanely busy with his swim schedule and baseball schedule and other commitments that we haven't been home for any of them yet. We have come home and seen their set up as the movie is finishing up and it is nice. So Friday we noticed they had their stuff out (we were forecasted to get a ton of rain on Saturday) and I told DS he could go over. Anyway, I glanced out and saw they had started their movie it was packed and then I saw it was Inside Out. At first I thought it was just a preview and then realized it was the actual movie. I told him he wasn't allowed to go over and then we got into a whole discussion about bootlegging movies and why it is wrong, etc. Of course we were the "bad" parents then since it looked like most of the other neighbor kids were over there.

My husband wanted to report them to the cops since it was just out there in the open. I didn't want to do that, but I am very uncomfortable now with what to say when they ask us why we don't come over. They can easily see when we are home. We actually ended up going to see the movie in the theater last night since DS kept asking then. So, WWYD in this situation?

 

[Squirlz]

I would mind my own business.

 

[jen0610]

Our new neighbors moved in over the winter. Their backyard faces ours. Earlier in the spring we met them when we were out playing with the kids and they mentioned that they wanted to host neighborhood movie nights in the summer. Apparently they had a projector a really cool outdoor screen. Sure enough, a few weeks ago, we got a flyer in our mailbox about the Saturday night movies.

DS9 has wanted to stop by but we are insanely busy with his swim schedule and baseball schedule and other commitments that we haven't been home for any of them yet. We have come home and seen their set up as the movie is finishing up and it is nice. So Friday we noticed they had their stuff out (we were forecasted to get a ton of rain on Saturday) and I told DS he could go over. Anyway, I glanced out and saw they had started their movie it was packed and then I saw it was Inside Out. At first I thought it was just a preview and then realized it was the actual movie. I told him he wasn't allowed to go over and then we got into a whole discussion about bootlegging movies and why it is wrong, etc. Of course we were the "bad" parents then since it looked like most of the other neighbor kids were over there.

My husband wanted to report them to the cops since it was just out there in the open. I didn't want to do that, but I am very uncomfortable now with what to say when they ask us why we don't come over. They can easily see when we are home. We actually ended up going to see the movie in the theater last night since DS kept asking then. So, WWYD in this situation?

I know what DH would do. The next time(s) they are showing their movies, video tape them with the date & time stamp showing. Get a couple of different dates on record, save their friend flier notice, then make copies of it all and send it to the local police station, the FBI, and the home office of each movie distributer.

They are breaking the law - end of story.

 

[pryncess527]

Well, I would not report them.

I'd probably try to find a way to let them know i was not interested without making a big deal out of it. I mean, if it's just a flyer, it's easy enough to ignore. They might wonder why you don't come, but I'd let them wonder. If they actually ask, I'd probably say something like, "Oh, DS9 was excited about our plans to see that movie in the theatre, so we weren't able to make it."

 

[Mizzoufan]

I would probably just not allow my family to go. You can't police the neighborhood.

 

[Handbag Lady]

I would report them, too. They are totally breaking the law and stealing from my very company.

 

[okeydokey]

I would not report them, but I also would not attend.

 

[Handbag Lady]

I don't get other people's responses. If you see someone stealing stuff from your neighbor's house, you'd call the police.

Why is this any different? Theft is theft.

 

[jt'smom]

I wouldn't report them, they aren't charging admission are they? I think it shows an amazing lack of intelligence on their part, however, I would definitely mind my own business on this one. As far as refusing the invites, I would just say "No", and leave it at that. Especially since you are right behind them, I wouldn't let my moral high ground make neighbor-enemies. Bottom line is that you will still live behind them and do you really want to have to deal with any bullcrap that results from you calling the police on them?

 

[jen0610]

I don't get other people's responses. If you see someone stealing stuff from your neighbor's house, you'd call the police.

Why is this any different? Theft is theft.

You'll hear the justification being that it's such a small thing and we have to live next to them. I could give a rats behind if my neighbor who likes to ingage in illegal activities - small or large - likes me or not.

 

[bsblady01]

I would not allow my kids to go. but I would not report them.

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

I'd probably just move on and not worry about it.

 

[puffkin]

My thoughts are if they ask me why we haven't stopped by, I will just say we are not comfortable watching bootlegged movies and leave it at that. I don't want to create ill will with neighbors that close or cause any trouble, but I just feel it is fundamentally wrong. It will be interesting to see if they show any more illegal movies this summer or if it was a once and done thing.

 

[Disneylover99]

I would not report them. Don't go if you feel uncomfortable. Maybe they show older movies sometimes. Go then.

 

[SEA333]

I'd mind my own business.

If I had a big problem with it, I would keep my kids home.

Other than that, I would have kept the rest of my opinions to myself and not talked to my kids about it.

Not saying I am comparing you in every way, but I had neighbors like that once...they were opposed to everything everyone did and their kids weren't allowed to play with anyone in the neighborhood (except mine when the mom wasn't busy being annoyed or hurt by the latest transgression I committed, like waving hi to her when she wan't in the mood). They were constantly threatening to call the police (and it didn't help that the DH was a trooper himself - it was really too bad because I have the utmost respect for law enforcement when they are not throwing in everyone's face how much better they are then everyone else), so nobody wanted to be around them and their too-good-for-everyone attitude.

Again, not saying that YOU are that way, my only point is - the kids have to live there and associate with the other neighbor kids at play, in sports, and in school. I would leave them out of the "moral reasoning" chitchat about the neighbors.

JMO.

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

I think it would be important to separate criminal and civil laws before you move forward.

 

[robinb]

I would be curious where they got the movie. Other than that, I would not report them.

 

[mjkacmom]

Wouldn't be a blip on my moral compass. Ds17 has a friend who buys and rents bootleg DVD's. The quality isn't great. I'd have no problems going over to be social.

 

[ashley0139]

I wouldn't do anything. Believe it or not, there are actually legal ways they could have gotten it anyway. Just because it's a movie that happens to be in the theater doesn't mean they're doing something illegal.

 

[jen0610]

I would be curious where they got the movie. Other than that, I would not report them.

There are websites that sell the pirated movies. We found out that we actually had gotten intoduced to a family that subscribed to them. They would talk about to anybody, anywhere. Unbeknown to them, one of the guys they got friendly with at a local watering hole, was undercover for the local feds and he inturn tipped off the powers to be. We met them on a Friday, no plans to ever ingage with them again, when later that next week they were in the news when they got busted.