eBay

kath3735_wxmjn · ‎03-01-2026

I am looking for a specific DVD and went on to Amazon first to see if it had been released, you can pre order as the release date is February 23rd. So out of interest i looked on here and lo and behold there are many of this particular series already up for sale (at a lot less cost of course!) All nice new and sealed of course... I can understand that some business sellers may have actually imported from abroad but how come there are also private sellers on here, one who has apparently sold 88 already and has another 5 for sale?? (not the only private seller with more than one to sell as well). Are these really genuine dvds or are they just pirates and how come E Bay has not picked up on it? Am i being too suspicious, is there a genuine reason for it happening. I would rather pay full price than buy a cheap pirate copy, puts me off buying dvds off here.

jonathachamberlai-97 · ‎03-01-2026

There are many sellers burning their own dvds of films and then selling them on eBay. Their excuse is the films are out of copyright and therefore what they are doing is not illegal. They are often quite open about this and let the buyers know in the description.

Whether or not what they are doing is illegal and against eBay policies I will let more knowledgeable people explain.

jonatjonatjonat · ‎03-01-2026

creating copies of films in the public domain is one thing.

depending on the film the OP is talking about it certainly sounds a lot more like the copies would be pirated.

if amazon is giving a release date as 23rd Feb, I’d very much steer clear of anything that is already available

insidethe93 · ‎03-01-2026

Assuming that every single one of those sellers has a DVD case that has a DVD in it (if the case is sealed, how can you tell if it's in there?), and assuming that it's plausibly an authentic DVD as DVDs are usually released on a region by region basis, do the sellers state in their listing which region, which language etc? Or does it not matter to you as you have a player capable of playing a different region?

If they're pirated copies they'll be poor quality and probably a problem to obtain a refund?

Re the sellers' lower price, depends how low, as if it's too good to be true then I'd be warier still.

As 23rd Feb isn't really that far off (and pre-orders are often shipped early), I personally would wait it out for peace of mind especially if it's to be just for me, not just to ensure a genuine DVD but one for my own region. This is because DVDs quite often have region-based cuts, changes in dialogue, and changes good or bad relating to any bonus features. e.g. "Zootropolis" has newsreader scenes that vary place to place to feature a newsreader known in different areas (so there a newsreader joke might miss).

I'd also have my normal "alert sensors" on e.g. checking how the DVD sellers, now or come 23rd Feb, ship e.g. which courier, or if untracked.

rainbowtrax · ‎03-01-2026

I take it this is is the Star Trek Strange New Worlds latest series? If so, like any current DVD release that's anticipated to have good sales, it will have already been pirated. On here, you'll get legit sellers like Chalkys and Rarewaves selling legit DVDs on pre-order then you'll get all the listings of cheaper Far Eastern pirated copies - which obviously won't state that. There are often clues in their feedback, private listings, and if they claim it's region free when you would expect it to be region encoded then that's generally a red flag. The seller who's sold 88 will be selling pirates.

These pirates tend to surface all over, not just on ebay. On sites like Amazon, where everyone's FBA stock is stored together, you never know the exact origin of the item you're sent. In this way, pirated copies can infiltrate legitimate supply chains.

insidethe93 · ‎03-01-2026

Thanks for the info.

Pirated DVDs is what they probably are.

Those Orion pirates get everywhere 🙂

kath3735_wxmjn · ‎04-01-2026

Okay, i confess it is that one! Just amazes me that a 'private' seller can get away with selling so many of a not yet released DVD! I was just browsing to see if anyone was selling a region one copy (discovered the joys of multi region player when i accidentally bought one years ago and found that sometimes it was quicker and cheaper to buy a non region 2 one on here.) I have had the odd pirate copy off here which i have trashed. I actually have great sympathy for business sellers who have to try to compete with those sellers.

kath3735_wxmjn · ‎04-01-2026

but not in my DVD collection!

kath3735_wxmjn · ‎04-01-2026

In this instance the dvd is not actually released over here yet, so definitely not out of copyright. After being on the receiving end in the past of pirate copies (not bought knowing that i may add) i do try to be wary of who i buy from. Pretty obvious the e bay AI is not very good if it cannot spot a 'private seller' selling 88 brand new dvds all the same title.

rainbowtrax · ‎04-01-2026

Yeah, you'd think ebay could pick up on it when it's that blatant but they really don't care. In the case of the Star Trek thing, the US release date is a week or so later than the UK so no doubt that it's a pirate. That seller has also sold 312 copies of Clarkson's Farm which has never even had a legal DVD release (so strictly speaking a bootleg rather than a pirate). That's supply and demand for you. Most buyers will either not realise and/or not care. As long as it looks ok and plays fine they're happy to have got it a bit cheaper or have got something that's unavailable elsewhere.

Multi region can be great for saving money. It's worth looking at Dutch (and other European) box set releases as well as they're often cheaper than the UK edition and generally have options on the menu to select UK language and no subtitles, giving you exactly the same as the UK release. Australian issues can be cheaper too.

4_bathrooms · ‎06-01-2026

@jonathachamberlai-97 wrote:
There are many sellers burning their own dvds of films and then selling them on eBay. Their excuse is the films are out of copyright and therefore what they are doing is not illegal. They are often quite open about this and let the buyers know in the description.
Whether or not what they are doing is illegal and against eBay policies I will let more knowledgeable people explain.

Where films are concerned copyright lasts for the following period under UK law:

"70 years after the death of the last surviving author, director, writer, or composer. If the identity of these persons is unknown then the term is 70 years from creation, or if released to the public, 70 years from being made available."

So, any film directed by Alfred Hitchcock (d. 1980) could not possibly be out of copyright in the UK until at least 2050. Psycho will not be out of copyright in the UK until 2077 because screenwriter Joseph Stefano died in 2007 (composer Bernard Hermann died in 1975).

Give me ambiguity or give me something else.

insidethe93 · ‎06-01-2026

Buyers of pirate DVDs may or may not care if they're pirated. Such buyers may believe it's enough if the seller says they're out of copyright, or kid themselves that must be right. They think it absolves them. Or they think they'll get away with it. Or think it's not really a crime.

If someone wants something enough, if they feel they must justify themselves they'll come up with a "reason".