UP FRONT
FRONT
UP
Parallel boards
boards a a serious
serious problem
problem
Parallel
I've been
been thinking
th ink ing a a lot
lot about
about parallel
parallel imports
imports since
since they
they were
were the
the topic
topic of
of many
many
I've
discussions
at
the
ACME
show.
At
the
industry
firing
line,
the
subject
was
bantered
discussions at the ACME show. At the industry firing line, the subject was bantered
back and
and forth
forth among
among operators,
operators, distributors,
distributors, and
and manufacturers.
manufacturers. Even
Even the
the trade
trade
back
publications
were
criticized
for
accepting
ads
from
companies
selling
parallels.
One
publications were criticized for accepting ads from companies selling parallels. One
operator
said
he
had
not
been
aware
of
the
problem
before
the
show,
and
he
was
operator said he had not been aware of the problem before the show, and he was
probably
only
one
of
many
who
still
are
not
even
aware
or
particularly
concerned
probably only one of many who still are not even aware or particularly concerned
about parallel
parallel boards.
boards.
about
An
FBI
agent
discussed the
the problem
problem at
at a a seminar,
sem inar, and
and many
many attendees
attendees left
left with
with
An FBI agent discussed
changed
feel
ings
about
parallel
boards.
Though
everyone
with
a
stake
in
the
coin-
changed feelings about parallel boards. Though everyone with a stake in the coin-
operated entertainment
entertainment industry
industry should
should have
have been
been at
at the
the seminar,
seminar, fewer
fewer than
than 100
100
operated
showed
up.
I
don't
claim
the
turnout
was
small
because
no
one
was
interested
;
I
think
it
showed up. I don't claim the turnout was small because no one was interested; I think it
was
because
the
parallel-import
problem
is
fairly
new
to
this
industry,
though
it
has
was because the parallel-import problem is fairly new to this industry, though it has
touched others.
others.
touched
An
operator questioned
questioned the
the manufacturers
manufacturers for
for seeming
seeming to
to place
place the
the blame
blame on
on
An operator
operators
for
the
problem
.
Sure
there
are
some
disreputables
calling
themselves
operators for the problem. Sure there are some disreputables calling themselves
operators and
and who
who would
would be
be at
at the
the head
head of
of the
the line
line to
to do
do anything
anything unethical
unethical if if it it saved
saved
operators
them
a
buck,
but
I
truly
believe
most
operators
are
trying
to
make
a
decent
living
them a buck, but I truly believe most operators are trying to make a decent living, , a a
decent honest
honest living.
living .
decent
even more
more when
when operators
operators asked
asked me
me how
how to
to tell
tell if if someone
someone were
were
believed it it even
I I believed
selling parallel
parallel boards.
boards. Most
Most operators
operators want
want to
to know;
know; they
they don't
don 't want
want to
to be
be caught
caught
selling
doing something
someth ing unethical
unethical or
or illegal.
illegal.
doing
But that
that is
is the
the complexity
complexity of
of the
the parallel
parallel board
board issue;
issue; the
the boards
boards are
are not
not
But
illegitimate copies
copies of
of legitimate
legitimate games.
games. The
The Justice
Justice Department
Department has
has said
said parallel
parallel
illegitimate
boards are
are illegal,
illegal , but
but there
there have
have been
been no
no court
court rulings
ru li ngs in
in any
any cases
cases involving
involving them.
them.
boards
Copied boards
boards are
are easier
easier to
to spot,
spot, and
and it's
it's getting
getting easier
easier to
to prosecute
prosecute offenders-some
offenders-some
Copied
are in
in jail
jail now.
now. But
But that
that came
came about
about because
because of
of work
work by
by many
many people
people in
in this
this industry
industry
are
with the
the cooperation
cooperation of
of law-enforcement
law-enforcement agencies.
agencies. A
A copy
copy board
board is
is a a copy
copy board,
board , and
and
with
when
one
is
found
it's
obvious
what
it
is
.
Parallel
boards
are
manufactured
legally
when one is found it's obvious what it is. Parallel boards are manufactured legally
overseas by
by legitimate
legitimate companies
companies and
and find
find their
their way
way into
into the
the U.S.
U.S. Although
Although they
they are
are
overseas
not
supposed
to
be
sold
here,
they
are,
and
that
is
the
heart
of
the
problem.
not supposed to be sold here, they are, and that is the heart of the problem.
It's a a serious
serious problem,
problem , folks,
folks , so
so a a head-in-the-sand
head-in-the-sand attitude
attitude won't
won 't work.
work. Take
Take it
it
It's
seriously,
and
if
you
didn't
hear
what
FBI
agent
Bob
Fay
(who
will
be
working
atAAMA
seriously, and if you didn't hear what FBI agent Bob Fay (who will be working at AAMA
focusing on
on enforcement
enforcement work)
work) had
had to
to say
say about
about it it at
at the
the show,
show, start
start your
your research
research
focusing
now.
An
I-didn't-
know
answer
w
ill
not
hold
up
in
court.
now. An I-didn't-know answer will not hold up in court.
Valerie Cognenich
Valerie Cognevich
Cognevich
Valerie
Director
of Advertising/
Advertising/
Director of
Executive
Ass
istant
Executive Assistant
PLAY METER,
METER, April
April 15,
15, 1986
1986
PLAY
5
5