Ernst Jorgenson, driving force behind the �Follow That Dream� releases, leaves no doubt about zero tolerance for bootlegs. In the latest FTD newsletter to FTD sellers he writes:

"Unfortunately Sony BMG�s legal department has informed us about several of you selling illegal records, and apparently there is more to come. As the guilty ones know, it�s both unpleasant and expensive to be caught, and for the future there will be a �no tolerance� policy. Any customer getting in trouble with the authorities on this issue will automatically be dropped by FTD.
One of the key reasons for the development of FTD was to give the fan clubs legal product to sell in order to substitute the sales of bootlegs that escalated in the nineties. Not only are these illegal activities potentially hurtful to your business, but they also put the whole future of FTD in jeopardy.

We have heard many absurd excuses over the years for selling product that wasn�t legal (Czech republic releases is just one example), but all of you are experienced Elvis dealers, and it is your responsibility to know if the product you are selling is legal or not. As some will know, the so-called P.D. releases in many instances are not P.D. at all. Original masters recorded AND released more than 50 years ago are public domain (free for all), but masters and outtakes released within the 50-year period are not automatically P.D. Selling illegal P.D. recordings is exactly the same as selling bootlegs. Don�t let yourself down!!"

Source: Follow That Dream /