I tried posting this in the r/Bluray subreddit, but it was immediately removed because apparently "no piracy/bootlegs" means "no discussing them under any circumstances." But I think this is a discussion we need to have.
I was curious whether there was any news of a physical release for Andor season two, now that a year has passed since it was released on Disney+, so I searched online, and while I found no announcement from Disney or any distributor, the top result was a link to an "unbranded" version of both seasons, available through Walmart and "sold and shipped by Jijishan Community."
In the brief window before my previous post was removed, I received one comment: "Yes, online marketplaces are full of shitty bootlegs. Don't buy them."
That's all well and good, but it doesn't really answer my question as to why this thing is available through Walmart. Are the online marketplaces for major corporate retailers really such a lawless, Wild West digital landscape that anybody can list anything for sale, even when it's a flagrant copyright violation? How is it that Walmart isn't concerned about being sued by Disney for hosting such a thing?
Additionally, while I would normally agree with the admonition, "Don't buy them," is it really that simple when we're talking about a property that doesn't have an official physical release and might never have one? Like, I'm sorry to say it, but I'm seriously considering buying this "shitty bootleg" because I'm worried that if I don't, I'll just have to contend with Disney hoarding one of the greatest television series of all time on its streaming service and then quietly removing it one day when it either stops being profitable or starts being a political liability.