Discussion Forums - Questions about SwapaDVD

I've used the search forum and found 3 other threads that discuss how to tell if a movie is a pirated copy, but none of them really gave a definitive answer.

How can you tell, *really* and for sure?

If you suspect a movie is or might be, what do you do?

If you have received a confirmed pirated copy, what happens? Are you out your credit (s) ?

I have ordered dvds from companies that produce them for sale in countries outside the US - they often have other languages on the cover, and different languages available in subtitle menus -- but they are legitimate businesses, as far as I know. My point is that a foreign language on the cover isn't a definitive indicator of the legal or pirated state of a movie.

For me, the easiest way to tell is to look at the real fine print on the back of the DVD case, or on the DVD itself. It is very rare that a pirated DVD will be printed on high enough quality machinery to get this type crystal clear. Most likely it will be blurry or fuzzy. Without first hand knowledge of what the original is supposed to look like though, sometimes it can be hard to spot a fake.

If you are talking about major Hollywood releases, then foreign printing on the disc/artwork usually means it's a pirate - the exception being DVDs that have French and English - those are usually Canadian versions and not pirates. Any major US Hollywood release wtih Asian printing is a bootleg or pirate.

This is one of the best descriptions I've seen on how to tell if you have an illegal dvd...

http://www.peerflix.com/help/index.jsf?section=illegaldiscs

Thanks for the web site link! 

What about places like Bargin video that sell movies and tv seasons printed for Asian markets? They claim on their web site that all are fully licensed legal distributions, but the presentation is different because it's intended for a different market.

"What about places like Bargin video that sell movies and tv seasons printed for Asian markets?"

They have videos that are in the Disney vault, and Disney would not allow them to sell if they were legal. 

I don't really think they're intended for Asian Markets.  According to their site, they're based out of New Bedford, Massachusetts.  If these really were intended for asian markets, they would be regionally coded as such.  Regional codes do not allow universal compatibility across the world unless manufactured as Region 0, and any studio would not print then universally. 

They have videos that are in the Disney vault, and Disney would not allow them to sell if they were legal.

What exactly are you trying to say?  There is no way they would be allowed sell Disney videos if they were selling illegal copies! Disney is the most proactive legal protector on the planet. They have an army of lawyers who do nothing but track down copyright and trademark infringement all over the web, ebay and even in small businesses. I doubt places like Bargin video would be in business long if they were dealing in illegal Disney products.

I'm not concerned with the business practices of any vendor. Or of discussing that particular tangent

Aside from trying to find out exactly how to tell if a disc is illegal, my main concern is the action/reaction that would result from receiving a pirated disc via SaDVD.  What happens to the disc(s) ? Who loses their credits? Does anyone lose their credits?

" thread hijack? back to the main question"

Thread hijack?  I was answering the question YOU asked 2 posts ago!!!

Alex's responses were right on target for the discussion. Ease up on the accusations, eh?

I have one that I knew had to be pirated because I had the DVD of the movie when it was still playing in US theaters.  A co-worker of hubby's went to Malaysia to meet his internet bride and brought it back.  The disk is perfect according to the site listed above.  Nothing about it is suspicious at all.  The back side is gold but even the link above says that is expected on a non-pirated movie.  The artwork is flawless and even the fine print is easy to read.

The way I could tell it was pirated (besides the fact that it was pre-release) was that there were no intro things on the DVD.  When I put it in my DVD player it went straight to the menu so I could select play.  There were no previews and there wasn't any sound or action on the menu like most movies have.  The other way I could tell - at the end of the movie, people stood up to leave during the credits.  ROFL!  Otherwise the sound and picture were flawless.  There wasn't a stray conversation or cough anywhere but considering the people's shadows at the end, it had to have been filmed during a theater showing.

But maybe that means it's actually a bootleg copy?  I'm not sure on the technical terms here.  But I imagine pirated means it is copied from a real DVD release right? 

SORRY!  :O)

"- at the end of the movie, people stood up to leave during the credits."

This type of bootlegged video is referred to as a telesync, when a video camera is taken into the theater and recorded.  It's quite illegal to do and some theaters in Canada have reportedly purchased $15,000 night vision goggles so they can check out the audience to find bootleggers. 

Thank you Alex... now what do I do with the darn thing?  I'm worried the Feds are going to beat down my door.  Do I toss it? Do I destroy it? Do I send it to some investigative office?  Do you know?  :O)

An easy way to determine if a DVD is a bootleg copy or not is to use a program like Nero CD-DVD Speed. You can download it for free at www.cdspeed2000.com. You just put your DVD in, open the program, and it will give you a list of info about the DVD. If the DVD is a copy, it will show the type of recorder used, the manufacturer of the recordable DVD used, and the write speed used. But if the DVD you put in is an original copy, it will show the DVD region, copyright protection, and so forth. It takes about 10 seconds! :)

This program is awesome. It will also scan your DVDs for any read errors, so you can essentially see if there are going to be any skips or freezes before you even watch it!

Demanda,

Do you know if that program will work for Pirated DVDs that are professional manufactured?  I'll definitely have to check out that one when I get home.  Is this a feature that's included in all Nero programs or is a separate application?

"now what do I do with the darn thing?  I'm worried the Feds are going to beat down my door.  Do I toss it? Do I destroy it? Do I send it to some investigative office?  Do you know?  :O)"

I believe that choice is up to you.  If you feel like reporting it, the MPAA have a spot on their webpage to Report the Piracy.  If you are going to report it, that would probably be your best avenue to pursue.  I imagine if you just call a local FBI office, they'll either tell you they are too busy or just won't really care. 

If you want to throw it away, I believe that's an option to.  I doubt your particular trash is being monitored by any federal agencies or the MPAA.  If you want to destroy it, go on ahead too, that's another option.

According to the MPAA webpage, over 81 Million counterfeit DVDs have been recovered, so unless you're selling hundreds of thousands of these, I doubt they are going to come knocking.  I do know people that have owned counterfeit DVDs for years so you don't exactly need to be immediately concerned about your safety and well-being, but I probably wouldn't recommend keeping them. 

In my opinion, now that you realize it is not a legitimate DVD, it’s best to dispose of it in some manner you feel appropriate on a somewhat timely basis. 

Thanks!  I'll just snap it in half and toss it since I really don't have the info the MPAA needs to report it. 

Alex.

It should still work for professionally manufactured bootlegs. You just have to look for any discrepencies like no copyright protection or region number given. Also, from my experience, the title usually shows up as something weird (like x1119) in the program if it's pirated instead of the actual name of the DVD. If the DVD is legit, the title will always be the name of the movie.

After reading these posts I realized that I have Nero CD-DVD Speed but I never knew what to do with it. It came installed with my new hard drive.

cool!