How to sell bootleg DVDs on eBay

[Eric Perlin]

EBay has rules against selling bootleg DVDs. However, it is perfectly okay to
sell films that are in the public domain. So, to sell bootleg films, all an eBay
seller needs to do is to _claim_ that the films are in public domain, while
knowing full well that they are not.

I've seen an eBay auctions of an obviously home-made 26-DVD set of almost every
existing L&H film, and another DVD set of all the sound Hal Roach Little Rascals
films. In both instances, the sellers claimed that all of these films had
expired copyrights and were in the public domain.

Ethics aside, I wouldn't buy from such sellers, as a seller who is brazenly
dishonest enough to make false claims about copyright status is not likely to
have the integrity to replace defective discs.

[[e-mail]]

Post by Eric Perlin
EBay has rules against selling bootleg DVDs. However, it is perfectly okay to
sell films that are in the public domain. So, to sell bootleg films, all an eBay
seller needs to do is to _claim_ that the films are in public domain, while
knowing full well that they are not.
I've seen an eBay auctions of an obviously home-made 26-DVD set of almost every
existing L&H film, and another DVD set of all the sound Hal Roach Little Rascals
films. In both instances, the sellers claimed that all of these films had
expired copyrights and were in the public domain.
Ethics aside, I wouldn't buy from such sellers, as a seller who is brazenly
dishonest enough to make false claims about copyright status is not likely to
have the integrity to replace defective discs.

Well that just shows you the lack of research done by eBay, but to be
fair many people believe that if it’s an old black and white movie
made well before 1970, it must be Public Domain.

I have come across several blatant bootlegs DVD sets on eBay, like a
complete 190 Three Stooges Short Collection. No thanks.

Cartoonguy