bootlegged liberty

In the local film-making circuit, we have a half-joke-saying, that if you're film is being bootlegged, than that means your production has "arrived" - becoz, essentially bootleggers have a knack for spotting "successes" (aka better chances of making money - unless of coz you're bootlegging yourselves, than that's just wishful thinking LOL) ... but the laughter fades pretty quick - and I do not