Pirated DVDs and customs

[maxham]

Hi all

Just wondering what the current situation with is on this......I have some pirated DVDs (not a huge amount, probably about 15) and am going home next week. I fly to Shenzhen, will cross over to HK then fly from HK to Oz. What's the story if you've got pirated copies on you??

Many thanks

[HashiriKata]

I guess you should be ok (I don't own pirated DVDs ) and I doubt anyone would look. But to be on the safer side, why not sending them home by post ?

[imron]

It should be ok. I've never had any problems in the past when returning to Oz with loads of DVDs. To be on the safe side you might want to buy a DVD carry-case thing - you know, the kind that holds 20-50 dvds in it. Customs probably aren't going to be bothered if you can show the movies are your own personal belongings. They might react differently if they find lots of boxed DVDs, because there's a greater chance that they'll suspect you of wanting to sell them on.

If all of your DVDs are in a carry case, you can also protest that they are all legitmate copies bought in the store but that's harder to do if they are all in boxes, because one look at the back of the box is usually enough to see that the copies are pirated.

Also, sending them home by post is not such a good idea - first of all because the postage is probably going to cost you about the same as what all the DVDs cost in the first place, and secondly because you might get some antsy packing lady at the post office who decides that you're not allowed to send more than 3 similar items in the one package (I had this happen once trying to send a bunch of scrolls home at Christmas).

[selfconstruct]

I think posting is the go. I had a friend post a box of about 150 to Australia without any problems. If you carry them with you, Hong Kong customs would be the point of greatest risk. I know a number of people who have been searched at Lo Wu (all locals though - if that makes a difference).

[sui.generis]

I took my 20 DVDs home in a CD carrying case, as imron suggested, and was not bothered either in China or in the US (now I wish I'd brought more). As someone else suggested at the time, I also kept a list of the movies (in both English and Chinese) so if I were asked, I could easily show them what I had, and that it wasn't anything objectionable. I never had to use it, but it might be wise to have.

On the other hand, they could easily be seized at any customs area if someone decided they wanted to. Mailing them is probably just a matter of getting lucky. If you write 150 DVDs on the customs slip, it could well attract attention either in China or in the US.

[amo]

I had about 50 originale dvd's in my carry-on bag going from Beijing to Amsterdam and they checked ALL of them to see if any was pirated copies. It is illegal, but the risk for control is very low. Luckely for me I only had the real stuff.

[Mugi]

About 10 years ago, before the advent of DVDs, I tried posting a dozen or so pirated CDs from Guangzhou, but they were stopped by Customs China-side. The CDs I carried as carry-on luggage got through though (not that I was searched however).

[sebtrois]

Last year a French expat returning home for good, had hundreds of DVD's bought over the years in China, in his personal stuffed (shipped by surface), he got fined something like 20 euros x 1,000+ DVD's + he doesn't get to keep the Dvd's

[Lu]

I brought about 20 (mostly illegal) CDs back home. I had thrown the boxes away to save weight, only brought the CDs and the booklets, buried them deep in my luggage to prevent them from breaking, and had no trouble whatsoever. 15 DVDs is not so much, shouldn't be a problem.

[deezy]

I've heard that both US and Chinese customs are cracking down a lot more these days..

[zhxlier]

Wow, things has really changed. When I was in college (late 90s), I tried to send a legal copy of CD to my friend in US by mail. I was asked to get a document from 海淀区委宣传部! Or it's different for you foreigners...

I think posting is the go. I had a friend post a box of about 150 to Australia without any problems. If you carry them with you, Hong Kong customs would be the point of greatest risk. I know a number of people who have been searched at Lo Wu (all locals though - if that makes a difference).

[lfe151]

It's easier and less conspicuous if you take it out of the packaging (most of which is poorly written and unnecessary anyway), and stuff them into a CD-book that you can buy on the cheap. Then put them in your carry on. Then...just be cool.