What not to buy on ebay.

[pyro_moogle]

I was once told never to buy Chinese subtitled anime on ebay. Why is this.

[AngelSakura]

Because it has a decent chance of being an illegal bootleg. I should know. I have a bootlegged copy of the third Dragonball Z movies ("World's Strongest").

[Kkun]

Well...you COULD buy it.

I think it's illegal, though, and usually the quality isn't too good.

And you don't want a SWAT team to bust into your house National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation style, now do you?

[Sync]

most often they're bootlegs, (poor quality) copies of full series on from as little as one to six discs. Sometimes they can even be digital fansubs that have the chinese subs pasted over the english words.

[Arnobius]

Well, it's a safe bet that it's bootleg and very poor copy. Subtitles read like they were translated from Japanese to English by somebody who knows neither.

http://www.digital.anime.org.uk/piratefaq.html
http://members.tripod.com/~AvatarHR/legalfaq.html

You might find these links useful to explain the ins and outs...

[Namelessknight]

besides the whole legality angle, the quality[as others have mentioned] is very poor. Frustratingly poor. So save your pennies for legit releases...

[mizuhara_fan]

Economically, you should never to support bootleggers. They basically leech money from the anime industry by selling poor quality merchandise at their price advantage. Plus, it generates less interest for legit companies in picking up future titles if they're losing money to the HK bootleggers.

[pyro_moogle]

Wow. Thanks for the help. I just thought they were cheap buys. Dangit. Now I have to save more. Oh well. It is always better to stay legit.

[Stephen]

Just be careful. Read into it and message the seller. If you know the production company...ask the seller. Things like that. You just have to be careful on Ebay because there are a lot of bootleggers.

[Arnobius]

Just be careful. Read into it and message the seller. If you know the production company...ask the seller. Things like that. You just have to be careful on Ebay because there are a lot of bootleggers.

Sometimes it seems there are more bootleg than legit material. Real imports are almost always R2 DVDs if they come from Japan

[Yojimbo]

Alot of illicit Asian organizations make get their change through bootlegs. Which in turn probably funds their activities and contributes to the slave trade, drug trade, and prostitution in the region.

[Stephen]

I would have to see sources for that. To be blunt, that sounds like propaganda crap. Same rhetoric we saw on American tv a while back claiming each time a teen smoked a joint terrorists got more money for missles. Be against bootleggs because there illegal...not because you make up some lie guilting people.

[Namelessknight]

Completely off original subject-Sorry, but couldn't let it go.



So you are saying that drug money "doesn't" support terrorism?

The following isn't backed up with documentation, so take it from whence it comes, but still...

drug money supports drug dealers. work your way up the chain. at the top, those drug retailers[to be euphemistic] are usually also into illegal weapons trade.The money for one funds the other, and vice a versa.
Terrorists can't walk into the local military depot and place an order for 12 sams, supersized or otherwise So they get stuff on the black market. And from those same drug\gun lords.

given, a single joint won't finance a drug lord and allow him to get sams to sell to Bin Laden, but it is trickle up economics.

So I take exception to your calling it propaganda, or really, the negative connotations associated with the word "propaganda".

[Stephen]

*laughs* You sound like a poorly produced D.A.R.E tape. Lets get some facts right. Most drugs that young people use, are fairly cheap. That means they are made localy. I know for a fact that a nearby college is pumping the central Maine area full of LSD. That, and any dumb farmer with enough woods can grow a small fortune of weed. Terrorists do not get cash from these people. Your logic makes no sence. Its like saying that you bought Ice Cream...From Walmart...and some guy once bought a gun and killed someone...so you support killers. So, not to be rude...but having dealt with retarded family members in the past getting busted for drugs...I kinda know what I am talking about. Thats not to say that at some point, some rich terrorist has not made money on the side with drugs...but the logic that they use that "Buying drugs supports Osama" is absolutly asinine.

[Joshua Christopher]

but the logic that they use that "Buying drugs supports Osama" is absolutly asinine.

Putting gas in SUVs also supports Osama, apparently. ::rolls eyes::



I bought a Korean DVD boxed set that was absolute perfect quality from eBay.

[termyt]

It's better to know how to spot a bootleg then assume all DVD's from Korea or China are bootlegs.

Some tips:
Look at the packaging. Does it look like the packaging on the official release? You can find out what the legitimate release's packaging should look like on other retail sites. Some times it's easy to tell, but some bootlegs have very professional looking packaging.

Look for the release company on the packaging (or email and ask the seller directly who it is). It should match the true copyright owner or their licensed release agent.

If you are unsure, it's best to stay away. Please don't support bootleggers.

It is not illegal to import foreign made DVD's and CD's nor is it illegal or unethical to own a region-free DVD player, however, as a huge and loyal fan of the anime industry, I would request that you buy the official American release, if it exists. (It'll probably be cheaper anyway, unless you are getting it through an auction site). That way, the industry here is supported and we will continue to have new anime and soundtracks released here.