HaoRan Posted October 7, 2009 Report Share Posted October 7, 2009 My wife will be returning with me at the end of this month and would like to bring her dvd collection with her. These are all out of their slip covers and in CD/DVD carry books. Anyone foresee a problem with this? Anyone have problems at customs with DVDs.. She has maybe 125 at the most, maybe less than 100. Thanks, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnoblett Posted October 7, 2009 Report Share Posted October 7, 2009 Only issue is if any DVD's are "Pirate/boot-legs" If they look like legitimate DVD's with legitimate silkscreen-labels on them they should not be a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonado Posted October 7, 2009 Report Share Posted October 7, 2009 As long as they are all different DVDs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HaoRan Posted October 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 7, 2009 Only issue is if any DVD's are "Pirate/boot-legs" If they look like legitimate DVD's with legitimate silkscreen-labels on them they should not be a problem. Otherwise? Confiscate? Fine? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batmaniac Posted October 7, 2009 Report Share Posted October 7, 2009 We decided not to bring my wife's collection just in case. Didn't want any possible problem going through customs so we gave them all to her brother. Between Netflix and my collection there is no shortage of movies to watch anyway. If you simply must take them, I'd buy a zippered carry case /notebook for them and ditch the flat clovers. I did that with all my CDs years ago to save space. looks nice. Four will fit on a page usually. I believe that would look less suspicious. Anyway, don't claim them on any customs form. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle Posted October 7, 2009 Report Share Posted October 7, 2009 (edited) http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_r...07/06122007.xml Personally, I wouldn't risk it, but that's just me. I've read several articles of foreign nationals being turned away at the door for such a thing. Granted, what are the chances they'd actually check? Who knows, maybe slim, but why take the chance? Edited October 7, 2009 by KJJ (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy W Posted October 7, 2009 Report Share Posted October 7, 2009 You probably won't have a problem with the others. I think it was DavidZ who did exactly that one time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnoblett Posted October 7, 2009 Report Share Posted October 7, 2009 (edited) Only issue is if any DVD's are "Pirate/boot-legs" If they look like legitimate DVD's with legitimate silkscreen-labels on them they should not be a problem.Otherwise? Confiscate? Fine?You know the US government's stand on copyright infringement. Here is what CBP (AKA the POE) has to say about this: Trademarked and Copyrighted ArticlesCBP enforces laws relating to the protection of trademarks and copyrights. Articles that infringe a federally registered trademark or copyright or copyright protected by the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works are subject to detention and/ or seizure. Infringing articles may consist of articles that use a protected right without the authorization of the trademark or copyright owner or articles that copy or simulate a protected right. Articles bearing marks that are counterfeit or inappropriately using a federally registered trademark are subject to seizure and forfeiture. The importation of articles intended for sale or public distribution bearing counterfeit marks may subject an individual to a civil fine if the registered trademark has also been recorded with CBP. Articles bearing marks that are confusingly similar to a CBP recorded registered trademark, and restricted gray market articles (goods bearing genuine marks not intended for U.S. importation for which CBP granted gray market protection) are subject to detention and seizure. However, travelers arriving in the United States may be permitted an exemption and allowed to import one article of each type, which must accompany the person, bearing a counterfeit, confusingly similar or restricted gray market trademark, provided that the article is for personal use and is not for sale. This exemption may be granted not more than once every 30 days. The arriving passenger may retain one article of each type accompanying the person. For example, an arriving person who has three purses, whether each bears a different infringing trademark, or whether all three bear the same infringing trademark, is permitted only one purse. If the article imported under the personal exemption provision is sold within one year after the date of importation, the article or its value is subject to forfeiture. In regard to copyright infringement, articles that are determined by CBP to be clearly piratical of a protected copyright, i.e., unauthorized articles that are substantially similar to a material protected by a copyright, are subject to seizure. A personal use exemption for articles, similar to that described above also applies to copyrighted articles for the personal, non-commercial use of the importer and are not for sale or distribution. You may bring back genuine trademarked and copyrighted articles (subject to duties). Products subject to copyright protection most commonly imported include software on CD-ROMs, sound recordings, toys, stuffed animals, clothing with cartoon characters, videotapes, DVDs, music CDs and books. Products subject to trademark protection most commonly imported include handbags and accessories, and clothing. http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/PrintMe.xml?xml..._restricted.xml Edited October 7, 2009 by dnoblett (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HongKong2LA Posted October 7, 2009 Report Share Posted October 7, 2009 If they are Chinese movies, I wouldn't think that would be a problem. You can always mail them home for $50.00 probably. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill and Linda Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 When I moved to Chengdu 18 months ago, I brought with me a collection of about 180 DVD movies. All of these were copies made from originals (Netflix) with nothing on the DVD other than the name of the movie in magic marker. The DVDs were in generic four-to-a-page notebook sleeves, packed in my checked bag. Never thought twice about it being a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelloWorld08 Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 put the dvd's in a cd case/folder and you'll be fine, don't bring the covers though, it makes it too obvious.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C4Racer Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 We brought around 160 DVD's through customs and our bags were even checked. The officers looked at them briefly, but did not say anything about them. They were all different titles and placed in two separate carry cases. The girl in front of us was fined $100 dollars for trying to bring in meat products. I would not worry about DVD's that are completely different titles. The worst that will happen is they will confiscate them. You only receive fines and real hefty ones if they suspect you as trafficking them for sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaige Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 we never had a problem, we had them in books to save on room, only problem may be the format, but most dvd players will play them, we ran into a new format mpeg-2 so we have to figure out how to play these Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnoblett Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 We brought around 160 DVD's through customs and our bags were even checked. The officers looked at them briefly, but did not say anything about them. They were all different titles and placed in two separate carry cases. The girl in front of us was fined $100 dollars for trying to bring in meat products. I would not worry about DVD's that are completely different titles. The worst that will happen is they will confiscate them. You only receive fines and real hefty ones if they suspect you as trafficking them for sale.This was the case for us, while in Guilin, I bought a few of these bootlegs, we discarded the covers, and placed them in a CD album, packed them in the checked bags, and had no problems. I only quote the regs, and simply state that you can have a problem at the POE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Appaullo Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 I advised my wife against bringing hers ... I told her we can rebuild her collection here in the US. I just did not want to take any chances whatsoever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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