I would like to use this space to chastise all Hanson fans who make and sell OR trade OR just give away copies of Hanson cds (that includes imports!), books, posters, sheet music, TT&MON, MOE, or any other merchandise.
I'm not sure if you people are aware of it or not, but making copies of any of those things and distributing them in any way is illegal. But not only that, it's just plain tasteless and insensitive.
Making copies of Hanson merchandise decreases sales and also drastically lowers their value. Now, it's not going to cause the Hansons to become poor, but they, their record company, and others who work with them do miss out on the sales that would be made if people didn't buy cheaper illegal copies.
This also affects those of us who like to collect these things for their worth and limited quantities, since it greatly lowers the value of collections which we have worked hard to obtain.
Regardless of your reasons for distributing illegal copies, it's wrong. And you should be ashamed of yourself if you have made a regular business out of it. It doesn't matter if you can't find original merchandise to trade, nothing makes it ok to distribute copies. And sorry, but it doesn't even justify it if you're just trying to make people happy by supplying them with rare Hanson stuff.
If you are a true fan, or even simply a person of any moral value, you won't participate in this, and you will respect Hanson and the companies who put out their products.
Another thing, I believe it is also illegal to sell homemade items which bear Hanson's name, logo, image or likeness.
Hanson and/or Hanson's record company may not hesitate (and have every right) in taking legal action against anyone found doing the things mentioned above, and I certainly wouldn't blame them. Surfing the internet I have found that this situation is out of hand.
To those who buy copies of Hanson things, I ask you to stop. Don't support this kind of illegal activity. Want to keep Hanson high on the sales charts? Buy originals. And if you're searching for things which are already out of print, you'll just have to save up your money and frequent eBay until you can find the real thing.
Now to the subject of Hanson television appearance videos. Since it's impossible to catch every Hanson appearance, it's nice to be able to find someone to send us some of the stuff we've missed. But, again, don't make a business out of it. That is illegal. You can only charge people what it cost you to copy and send the video. In other words, reimbursement. And sorry people, but it does not take $30 to make a copy of a tape- which you had actually compiled for yourself- and send to someone just a state away. Bottom line, do it to help others, not to make profit for yourself. **NOTE: I'm speaking of television appearances here. Let me remind you that making copies of "Tulsa, Tokyo & the Middle of Nowhere" and/or "The Road To Albertane" is completely illegal. Don't do it!
I encourage you to report sites you find supporting any of the illegal things I've mentioned. You can report sites on Angelfire here
And if you're on AOL, you can report AOL sites here: Keyword: Notify AOL. If you notice an illegal copy on eBay you may report it on their Safe Harbor section. More links coming soon.
One other thing- Doesn't anybody have respect for the Hansons? I plead of you! Please stop selling/trading pictures or video footage of the Hanson's house! And I shouldn't even have to tell you to quit with the auctioning off of rocks and grass from their house, but I will anyway because some fans just continue to go too far. QUIT! You're an embarrassment to the rest of us Hanson fans who actually have some class. That's just disgusting. Do you seriously care about Hanson? Please show it.
On a lighter note, I enjoy collecting various Hanson things, mostly import cd singles. (Hmm... all original.) Click here to read some of my comments on the different stuff I have.
