There's also a 2-DVD set 'Collectors Box' which came out at the same time and nobody seems to have any info about what it contains. I assume it's just a repackaging of a couple previous Chrome Dreams bio DVDs (Under Review, Magic Moments).
I have 9 of these unauthorized bio DVDs so far and don't wish to take a chance on those unless I know they're new in some way. The Under Review discs are actually pretty good.
As for interview/bio CDs like the subject of this post, I've never been partial to collecting them. I'm just a DVD addict.
Nah they're still official for the companies involved. Sorry if I gave that impression.. They'd need to be altered somewhat into a new production... the same way the majority of these 'unofficial' productions are. Apparently you can take a bunch of existing material, edit it together and cite some 'fair use' policy.
Under Review (both volumes) feature excerpts from officially released concerts and such.. the first volume uses the GVH1 version of Killer Queen, complete with the 'courtesy BBC' text, so they ripped it right from that DVD.
If you make a new production, even using existing sources, this new production.. provided it's legal.. becomes your copyrighted work, so it probably could be shared if someone wished to make their own production and give it away free.
There is so much sketchiness about this though.. one could argue that re-encoding something is a new production too.
Like if someone records "Champions of the World" to DVD and creates their own menus and chapters.. well, and let's say they cropped the video to 16:9.. would this not qualify as a fan mix of the original work just as much as an edited version of a song done by a fan?
But anyway, no.. in the current environment around here, we can't share a complete original production like these 'unofficial' DVDs because someone still owns the copyright to them even if it's not Queen.
One exception would be the 'Bohemian Champions' interviews.. because whoever made that disc didn't have any rights to all those TV interviews to begin with.. but still I'd re-author the DVD otherwise I suppose if they had the nerve to sue, they could argue that the menus and such are their own...
Chrome Dreams just replied to my inquiry about the contents of the DVD set. It is indeed Under Review vol. 1 and Magic Moments. heh.
They also noted that their site link will be new and improved on Jan. 1st and should contain better info on such things.