When is a pirated dvd NOT a pirated dvd?

[Moomin]

Have emailed eBay with this query but no replies so wonder if any of youse lot know the answer:

I bought a Bambi DVD from eBay last week. When it arrived it was obvious it was a copy - the cover had been colour-photocopied and the DVD was a re-writable with Bambi hand-written on it. I went back to check the advert (DER should have done this more thoroughly in the 1st place) and it said the following:

"A MUST FOR ALL KIDS DISNEYS BAMBI ON DVD

You are bidding on this classic film on DVD which has been taken from VHS therefore its not the original please understand this before bidding the quality is picture perfect so please bid with CONFIDENCE HAPPY BIDDING no reserve

PERFECT CONDITION COMPETE WITH CASE

A NOTE TO EBAY THIS IS A GENUINE VHS TRANSFER WHICH IS CLEALY STATED ON THE COVER
THEREFORE NOT ILEGAL IVE CHECKED WITH RANK VIDEO THE PROMOTERS OF VHS TRANSFER AND THIS IS ALLOWED SO DONT WASTE YOUR TIME REMOVING IT THANKS !!!!!!"

Now, does this mean that the seller is trying to imply they copied it from a VHS video?? Because it is very clearly and obviously copied from the original DVD! Am I missing something here? They now want feedback from me and I don't know whether to just pretend everything is ok to save aggro (the quality is perfect!) or send neg feedback and risk the seller having a go.

as far as i know it is illegal to copy. end of story. doesn't matter what format it 's on

hmm... I would hesitate to leave neg feedback as they did say it was a copy (very annoying though - have done the same thing myself).

its illegal.

How much did you pay?

Isnt it OK if its for your own use, but that youre not supposed to flog it/pass it on/show it publicly etc..?

it's illegal. I think you're allowed by copyright law to make back up copies for your own use, not to be used simultaneously and as madmarchhare says certainly not for sale or to pass on!

dp said it's possible that the copyright has run out if it was copied from the early original VHS...

unlikely... but possible.

otherwise totally illegal

and yes, madmarchhare and georginaa are right... you can make back-up for your own use

Nope - no way is anything Disney out of copyright!!!! They fought the courts to make sure they could still copyright the Mickey character when it ran out of 50 (?) years limit and still make cash on it!

yeah we figured it woul dbe unlikey... but the only way they could be doing it legally! iyswim

so deffo illegal!

Ta - so what feedback do I leave?: pos / neutral / neg? And what comment?

i would probably not send feedback at all.
have they sent YOU feedback yet?

yeah just looked: "Super, lovley [sic], smashing" so I guess that's positive!

I'd skip feedback entirely and contact FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft) tbh... but then I'm a hard b*tch

Hmm... no, the politic way to go about it would be to contact the seller and say it's obviously a copy from the DVD not the VHS as you stated (presumably it has menus on it?) - I would like a refund. Return the disk. If you get the refund no problem then put some neutral feedback. If he refuses then contact Ebay - if he still refuses put negative feedback then contact FACT.

is it really corrupt of me to consider just not leaving feedback, keeping the film and putting it down to experience? It was £5 incl postage.

Thing is, they said it was a copy in the original listing. Legalities of copying aside, are you happy with the DVD?

I'd just put something like "speedy service" and leave it at that.

Yep, if you knew and were happy with the fact it was a copy when you bid... Go with Soupy's phrasing.

In fact, if anything, a copy from a DVD will be better quality than a copy from VHS...

also mention in feedback that it is a copy cos i always check there if im not sure

i wouldn't give them positive feedback because then other people who DON'T check feedback will just think, oh look they have good feedback, they must be trustworthy.

i personally would leave neutral, or none at all