Д«ootlegs should not be confused with counterfeit or unlicensed recordings, which are merely unauthorised duplicates of officially released recordings, often attempting to resemble the official product as closely as possible. This is even more evident with the ability to share bootlegs via the Internet. With the advent of the cassette and CD-R, however, some bootlegs are traded privately with no attempt to be manufactured professionally. With today's packaging and desktop publishing technology, even the layman can create 'official' looking CDs. However, they quickly developed into more sophisticated packaging, in order to distinguish the manufacturer from inferior competitors. ДЄlthough unofficial and unlicensed recordings had existed before the 1960s, the very first rock bootlegs came in plain sleeves with the titles rubber stamped on them. The alternate term ROIO (an acronym meaning 'Recording of Indeterminate / Independent Origin) or VOIO (Video.) arose among Pink Floyd collectors, to clarify that the recording source and copyright status were hard to determine. This term has become an umbrella term for illicit, unofficial, or unlicensed recordings, including vinyl LPs, silver CDs, or any other commercially sold media or material. The word, over time, has come to refer to any illegal or illicit product. The word 'bootleg' originates from the practice of smuggling illicit items in the legs of tall boots, particularly the smuggling of alcohol during the American Prohibition era. The recording, trading and sale of bootlegs continues to thrive, even as artists and record companies release official alternatives.

The copyrights for the music and the right to authorise recordings often reside with the artist, according to several international copyright treaties. Compact disc bootlegs first appeared in the 1980s, and internet distribution became increasingly popular in the 1990s.Д¬hanging technologies have affected the recording, distribution, and profitability of the bootlegging industry. Subsequent bootlegs became more sophisticated in packaging, particularly the Trademark of Quality label with William Stout's cover artwork. The following year, the Rolling Stones' Live'r Than You'll Ever Be, an audience recording of a late 1969 show, received a positive review in Rolling Stone. The practice of releasing unauthorised performances had been established before the 20th century, but reached new popularity with Bob Dylan's Great White Wonder, a compilation of studio outtakes and demos released in 1969 using low-priority pressing plants. Bootlegs usually consist of unreleased studio recordings, live performances or interviews without the quality control of official releases.

Recordings may be copied and traded among fans without financial exchange, but some bootleggers have sold recordings for profit, sometimes by adding professional-quality sound engineering and packaging to the raw material. Making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging. The first popular rock bootleg, Bob Dylan's Great White Wonder, released in July 1969ДЄ bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority.

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