In my area, people are always selling new release DVD's (not bootlegs) for several dollars. They are just the single DVD, with no bonus materials and they come without their original case. Is it illegal to sell these on ebay and will I get in trouble for doing so? I ask this because I've seen many people doing this on ebay and wondered if I could do the same.
2010-11-03T13:51:12Z
These are copies of the original DVD. When I say they aren't bootlegs, I mean they aren't in the theater with a camera.
The Wail of a Banshee2010-11-03T13:51:34Z
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Where are these people getting the DVDs from.If you can buy them from a legitimate place then you can sell them on. EDIT Making copies is fraud and yes you can get in serious trouble.
Then they are Bootlegs: The technical definition of a bootleg is: any illegal copy of video or audio. That can mean everything from a program that you tape on television and pass on to a friend (yes, that's technically illegal) to someone "producing" a professional looking DVD or CD of intellectual material that they do not own the rights to.
And yes, if you sell them on Ebay or anywhere else you are commiting a crime.
You could possibly lose your Ebay account if caught.
Will,
"Just remember that ebay is a computer filter and you can always find ways of getting around a filter. Nobody at ebay is watching or cares per say,"
You really know nothing about Ebay. If you think no one at ebay watches listings you're a fool.
There are Ebay people monitoring listings 24/7.
BTW, Ebay cares a lot. They don't need any more lawsuits.
It's okay as long as nobody working for ebay notices it. If the ebay computer filter doesn't pick it up, you may have many potential buyers interested. As long as none of those buyers are complete ebay sellouts, who have sold their souls to ebay and will report you for selling something not allowed, you should be ok. One seller may list several of these DVDs and make alot of money. Another seller may list one and receive a big brother messages from ebay saying that they removed it because it's not allowed and you're now being watched, monitored, suspended or banned altogether. Luck of the draw. Just remember that ebay is a computer filter and you can always find ways of getting around a filter. Nobody at ebay is watching or cares per say, but they do have a bunch of teachers pet, die hard ebay tattle tales who will rat you out in a second. G'luck!