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Have you ever bought something anime related, only to find out later that it's a fake?

Yes 0.359375 35.9% [ 230 ]
No 0.359375 35.9% [ 230 ]
Gold 0.28125 28.1% [ 180 ]
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Table of Contents!


Post one: Introductions, "Bootleg" Defined!, and of course the Table of Contents.

Post 2: Missions and Mission Statements.

Post 3: The Little Guy In China, Or Why Buy Bootlegs

Post 4: Dvds

Post 5: Cds

Post 6: Merchandise in general

Post 7: Links

Post 9: NEW! "If you must buy a bootleg..." or "My Trip to Italy"


*introduces thread*

Well, well, welly, well! It seems my old thread actually managed to become popular enough that I needed to make a revised edition! Thank you to all who posted in the old thread. Your posts were greatly appreciated (lifeblood of the thread and whatnot). I hope the new and revised version lives up to the old one!

What has changed in this thread? Increased User-friendliness. More sections for more even division of information. Basically, my old thread was originally just for dvds, but over time, I started adding other areas, such as CDs and other forms of merchandise. And so, everything got muddled. Now each are will (in theory) have it's own section, and not just one conglomerate. This way, the Table of Contents will serve some functionality.

To sum it all up: Huzzah! You don't have to hunt down what you want to know!


That being said, I will now rip the old introduction from my old thread and put it here move on... with old stuff under the guise of new stuff.

Ok, most of us have been here: You love a series, and wait for months to find a dvd of it for sale somewhere, and lo and behold: you find a cheap boxed set of it. You immediately buy it, thinking that the Anime Gods are smiling on you, and when it comes, you show it off to a friend, who utters those dreaded words: "Sorry, but this is a fake!"

No worse feeling in the world (at least for me).

What is a bootleg, you may ask?

Wikipedia
Bootlegging is an informal term for smuggling, sale or transport of illicit goods. While it originally described the illegal transport and sale of alcoholic beverages on which excises had not been paid (derived from a method of hiding alcohol in flasks in the shanks of a boot), it now refers more broadly to the transportation or sale of many types of pirated, counterfeit, black market, grey market or parallel import goods.

Basically, fake goods.

Discuss:
How to tell the difference between real goods and fake ones.
Bootleg and counterfeit horror stories
Do you think I'm awesome?

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*goes on a mission*

Ooo! Now it's time for a new feature! The mission Statement and detailed description of this thread's mission!

My Mission Statement: "Rub my avi's white catband once a day."

My Mission: Mission statements are supposed to sum up your mission, but in my experience, they never do, so to avoid that, I've come up with a mission statement that I can live up to. I CAN rub a white catband everyday. However, when it comes down to it, my mission is too lengthy and too widespread for me alone to accomplish. I need the help of people who visit this thread and take the colletive mission to heart to accomplish it.

The thread Mission Statement: "Clear up misunderstandings about Bootlegs and Counterfeits."

The Thread Mission: In this Thread, I will provide everyone with not only information on how to tell the difference between what's real and what's real~~~ly fake, but also information as to why bootlegs are "bad" (at least in my opinion) and why they can be "good" (because in the end, "good" and "bad" are just labels). It is the thread's goal to spread awareness that there are fake goods out there, just waiting to hop in to your collection. And it is my hope that people will spread the word.

Whether you choose to participate in the mission is your choice.

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*goes on a tangent or two*


So many of you are probably wondering, how could bootlegs and counterfeits possibly be bad if they're so much cheaper than the real deal?

I'll tell you. Bootleggers and counterfeiters don't pay any sort of royalties to the copyright holder. That means that the original creator/studio doesn't get any of the money that the bootleggers bring in. Instead, they lose business and money. As a supporter of the arts, I'd much rather shell out the extra money so that the people who bring that which I love can continue to bring me that which I love, ya dig? Most bootlegging companies are located in Hong Kong, so that means that some little guy in china gets all the money, and the original creator gets squat. I don't think that's very fair. Do you?

Summary: Don't Support the little guy in China. He's a thief!

Now some of you are now thinking, "But Cujo! I happen to like the little guy in China! Sure he steals from animation studios, but other than that, he's not hurting anyone!"

Think again. The little guy in China is very likely using sweatshop/child labor techniques to bring you that low-qualitly, not so durable Naruto plushie you might be hugging. I for one, as a humanitarian, am not fond of such practices. Not only are these poor people hurt, but you could be hurt! A lot of dangerous stuff could get mixed in with your precious dvds and merchandise. Things like dangerous chemicals and razor blades have been found in bootleg and counterfeit merchandise. Still want it? Also, sometimes the money made from these bootlegs goes towards drug peddling and terrorism.

Summary: Counterfeits are dangerous s**t, yo! (I promise I'll never do that again if you promise not to stab me with that kitchen knife you're now holding)

"You sound a bit racist. Also, I still like the little guy in China. He's got good prices and some spectacular biceps."

Ok, one, I'm not racist against the chinese. Lord knows they all work harder than me. I respect that. Two, you still like the little guy in China, that's fine. Go ahead, by all means. He does offer the cheapest prices. And ya gotta make money to live. Who knows? The little guy in China may have a little family in China to support, and with China's population issues, he may be forced to make bootlegs because he can't get an honest job somewhere else. And he might not be a drug peddling terrorist either. And maybe he doesn't practice child/sweatshop labor, or put razorblades in his cd cases.

In that case, I support the little guy in China. He may need that money just as much (or even more) as the animation studio does.

Summary: Support the little guy in China. He needs money, just like everyone else.
This has been disproven, but I spent an hour on this section!!!

So, based on these views, form your own opinion on bootlegs and counterfeits. As you can see, there's really two ways to look at it.

And someone has! surprised

Chanker
My 2 cents on The Lil Guy in China;
I've been to Hong Kong, twice (pretty good for a white chick), and it was interesting. I was having trouble finding legitimate merchaindise, because the bootleggs of Japanese anime and asian porn of all varieties was so deeply imbedded in the culture it was eveb in high-end shopping centers.
I know bootleggers and subtitlers personally, and they really don't have many redeeming qualities. It's not like they're 18 year old chinese boys trying to get the money to get into university- they're 45 year old greasy porn addicts with halfeaten food all over their houses and studios. It costs pennies for these guys to download, throw on some poorly done subtitles (since their first language was neither Japanese or English), and mass produce the dvds and cheap cases.
The money doesn't filter out into needy local econemies, the savings don't get passed on to the consumer, and the legal series companies and owners lose revenue and end up firing out of their own companies. It's like a pyramid scam, the bootleggers at the top spread their merchaindise out as far as they can, exporting it over the internet and shipping it into conventions. The stores(/online, otherwise) that mistakenly buy it or don't know the difference feel they have to sell it to recoup their losses, and it gets into the public sector. Then fans that wind up with these fakes pawn them off on their friends for money or goods (my buddy did that to me when I was 13 stressed he's still paying for it ). The greasy criminal bootleggers at the top of this scam all through the different asian countries make a mint when you consider it cost them something stupid like 39cents U.S. to make a dvd set that sells for 25$ U.S. on Ebay. And then they sell 200 of them a week. They're not struggling to live within their means to feed their starving families, they're exploiting stupid people.

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*breaks out the dvd collection*


And now for what you've all been waiting for: How to spot fake dvds.

There are numerous ways to spot them, first and foremost being price per episode. What does that mean?

It means, look at how many episodes there are, and compare that to the price of the dvd.

Normally, dvds have about 3-6 episodes per disc, and one disc costs about $20, with boxed sets having 18-25 episodes spread over 5 or so discs and costing about $100.

Bootlegs may have up to 18 episodes per disc, and a boxed set may have up to 55 episodes and cost only about $25. That's your biggest clue.

Here's some more information from people who actually have a clue about what they're talking about:
sectionxiii_iscariot
Y'know, there are some ways that you can tell if something is bootleg. The first and formost is the cover. Check for the company logo, (Bandai, for example) and if its not there, its definately bootleg. Then, there is the lesser known method, which snags a bunch of customers. Check how many episodes are on the disk or set. If there are are more than nine episodes per disk, more often than not its bootleg. THe price plays a big part. No box set should cost around five dollars. I hope this helps.

Stellar Green
A bootleg is always region free coding, not NTSC or whatever it is, although some say they are.
Check their seller rating (eBay, amazon, etc), check the cover and match it up with the official cover.

If it shows that cover, and says it's legit, but is fake, you can make a report.
Also, most of them say Japanese w/English subs. And sometimes Chinese.
Never do they say dub.

Chanker
Spotting Bootleggs (In Canada/The U.S.);
"DVD Video" is not a company logo. Many bootleggs throw a fake logo on the spines or back to trick buyers. Look for legitimate companies - "ADV", "U.S. Manga Corps.", "Anime Works", "Geneon", "Bandai", etc.

Check the back for disc information. I have never, in 10 years of buying Anime dvds in Canada/U.S./Japan/Australia, found a legitimate dvd that offers Chinese subtitles. If it offers Japanese Audio with Chinese Subtitles, it's a fake, because subtitles are put out by companies to cater to the next largest language majority. In Canada, dvds come with French subtitles, it's our 2nd language. In the U.S., Spanish or French subtitles are more common.
If anyone can show me a legit anime dvd put out by a major U.S. company, with comprehensive ISBN/Barcode/Receipt/ information, that has legit Chinese subtitles and English credits for a Chinese subtitle team, I'll give them 50k. Because I've never found one.

If it looks like something someone printed off their computer, it very likely is. Legit companies spend gobs of money on their marketing teams to put out professional looking and easy to read and understand merchaindise. Many bootlegg dvds have white information text on the back that's so small, and so poorly printed that the words are blurry or misspelled. Legit merchaindise has crisp, clean, easy to read wording to give the consumer the information they need to buy the product.
Company marketing teams do everything they can to offer bonus features as well, even if it's just listing Dolby 5.1 sound, a Character Artwork Gallery, or Original Trailers/Themes. Bootleggs don't offer bonus material, they frequently dont even have a menue.

In Canada, even our bootleggs are more expensive. Generally, the math works out to 10$ Per Disc. A 3 disc set will sell for about 30$, a 5 disc for 50$. And then there are the stores that mark it up even higher because they want to make money off the bootleggs they brought in, not just recoup losses. It can actually get to the point where bootleggs are more expensive than the legitimage counterparts- I bought each of the 4 discs for Nazcaa for 6$ at Wal-mart, why the hell would I want to pay 10$/Disc for a bootlegg?

CREDITS! Legitimate companies putting out dvds always list the names of important people in lil tiny writing on the bottom of the backs of dvd cases. This is to be polite, and legal. Names generally listed are Directors, Producers, famous cast, marketing or staff, etc. Bootleggs don't list those, the best you get is a list of Japanese names on a corner of the case pasted out of the ending credits with no actual jobs accredited to them.


Another helpful tidbit comes from Caffeine Burnout:
Caffeine Burnout
I'm not sure if you mentioned this, but bootlegs often lack a UPC on the back. I noticed a bootleg iof a Garfield DVD at a garage sale that way.


Here's another helpful hint:
Stellar Green

Is if you are going to use a site where you buy from other users, check buyer comments. If it passes the more obvious tests, and they're trying to pass it off as an official version when it's not, chances are someone will have said something.


Another easy way to tell is to look at the subtitles/audio. Generally, if it has Chinese audio/subs, it's fake.

Also, if you already own something and suspect it may be bootleg, watch it with english subtitles. If the subtitles have a lot of spelling/grammatical errors, or are ill-timed, they're probably not real.

For instance, this is how an actual subtitle reads on my sister's bootleg Wolf's Rain dvds:

"Dont very, Ill brought him bake."

And on her fake Inu-Yasha movie (I forget which one):

Sesshoumaru: "The Inu-Yasha! You dirty rascal!"
Kagome: "Golly gosh, the Inu-yasha!"

Ok, those last two weren't so much grammatically incorrect as they were hilariously out of character. So look for that too.

As a general rule, don't buy it if it says it's "imported". That usually means it's imported from Hong Kong, NOT JAPAN.

Also, be wary of ANYTHING sold on eBay. It's very easy for sellers to flat out lie about what they're selling.

One last thing: Here is a working list of series that DO NOT (as of yet) have legitimate dvds for sale outside of Japan:

Tokyo Mew Mew (You can find the dub version that makes my skin crawl, but there is no uncut version yet.)
Sailor Moon Stars
Rose of Verailles
Death Note (It's being dubbed by Viz right now, but I'm not sure if there are any dvds out yet.)
Shaman King (well, actually there are two volumes out legit, but no more, because FUNi and 4Kids like to annoy me)
Pretty much everything that's come out in Japan in the past year or so (could list series forever, but won't)

If you have anymore to add, feel free to tell me. Also, if I don't do it (whether I haven't found out yet, or I just forget), please let me know if I can take a series down from the list.


IMPORTANT! IF YOU DO HAVE A BOOTLEG DVD, DO NOT TRY TO PLAY IT ON YOUR PS2!!!

They often either don't play, or they wear out the poor machine so much it breaks. It happened to my sister, and it could happen to you

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*kicks out the jams, DUDE!*


Ah, Cds. Possibly the most convincing counterfeits I know of. Bootleggers really got these right!

I'm not even going to try explaining these myself, so here's someone else:

San Aion

Anime CDs are a lot trickier to decipher. For one you need to know the actual recording company and distributor your artist is signed with but mostly I could give out some hints to find out the legit from the fake.

Tofu records, a major recording company distributes anime, Jpop, and jrock CDs overseas, so you might want to spot their logo once in awhile.

Secondly is it in a jewel case and shrink wrapped or in some god awful packaging? The former is legit while the latter usually is a rip-off.

Thirdly always look for serial numbers, preferably with only 10 digits. More then that usually meant its a boot legged.

Look for the Copyright trademark near the bottom of the back of the packaging. Thats legit

And if you can look at the CD itself, Chances are the images are not burned into the CD but rather it has something akin to like Nero's or some skin you can apply to it. Thats bootlegged right there my dear.


Wikipedia had a nice little tidbit about a certain bootleg CD company...

Wikipedia
SonMay, or Son May Records is a bootleg company that, along with Alion and EverAnime, is a chief source of illegal copies of anime and game soundtracks. Western buyers often unwittingly buy their products, attracted by their cheap price compared to the actual expense of imported, multi-disc CDs. Due to their widespread reach, many video game related albums in album databases incorrectly list SonMay as publisher. The products are mostly identical save for SonMay's logo and the absence of the CD's real catalog number.[1]


As well as a list of many of the soundtracks they've made!

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*has tea with her figurines*

I finally came to my senses and realized that it's not just dvds that get ripped off, but there's tons of fake merchandise out there.

The most common type of counterfeit out there is the plushie. I happen to know that there are at least 2 other threads on Gaia (both in the A/M/C) that cover this topic extensively, so I won't muscle in on their territory (but if they'll let me, I'll link to their threads).

As for the rest, it can be any number of things. I've seen fake wallets, jewlery, mousepads... You name it, I've seen it. They're typically cheap looking, and instead of official artwork from the series, it's usually someone's fanart that's been stolen. This is an illegal practice, and in the case of ripped off fanart, it can get the original artist in a heap of trouble if the vendor gets caught.

Why are counterfeits bad? Well, sometimes they've got dangerous stuff in them (like anthrax or razor blades [please kindly hold your jokes]). And also, they promote bad things like drug smuggling, child labor, sweatshop labor, and even terrorism. Plus, it's stealing from honest companies.

Oh, and one last note: Not all unofficial merchandise is counterfeit. There are artists out there who do fanart (like sculptures and plushies) and then sell them someplace like eBay. Though it's legality is questionable (damn copyright laws!), they're ok to buy, as long as you're sure it's from an artist and not a counterfeiter.

ERA718
One way to tell that might work sometime is by the smell of the object. I know, this is odd but it's true. My friend brought Pokemon Yellow a long time ago. The packaging looked real and everything. However, thing reeked to high heaven of nail polish. That right away told me it was fake.


Yay! Someone knows how to tell if a figurine is fake!

Chanker
Bootlegg figures aren't really that profitable, since they take a lot to make. They're supposed to be hand painted/airbrushed, so if the painting on your figure is really splotchy and bleeds onto parts the colours shouldn't be on, it could be a bootlegg. Is it a figure you need to assemble? (stick the arms on the torso, etc.), or does it look like it was glued together really cheaply with open or uneven seams?
If you still have the packaging, does it have a bar code? A spot on it with the Japanese price in Yen? What's the figure character, series, and company- is it marked with a year it was released?



Here's a link to information on counterfeits:
Bootleg Plush Toy Gallery

Anime Plushies and Gashapon! (Actually this is another thread on Gaia, operated by Lissy~Poo, who from what I've heard is somewhat of an expert on counterfeit plushies)

User ImageAnd so we have a banner for my dear friend Junkie-kun's plushie thread with mucho mucho mas information on counterfeit plushies than I could ever pretend to give you (Yes, Junkie-kun, your banner has a use after all)

Bootleg Anime Merchandise FAQ This is pretty much the best faq I've seen about how to spot bootlegs. Thanks to AnimeCornerStore.com!

Anime World Order has released a podcast on bootlegs! All you iPod owners may want to check it out.

More information will be added as it becomes available...

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*goes all ADD and wanders off*


Whereas my last thread just had a list of websites titles, this thread will be better, because now there will be links!

Hooray for me!

These are all sites that I have checked out and should be free of bootlegs and counterfeits. If you have any more to add, or if find some reason that any site should be taken down, feel free to tell me.

Robert's Anime Corner Store
Rightstuf.com
SasugaBooks.com
PowerAnime.com
AnimeCastle.com
Wizzywig.com
AnimeMate.com
AnimeRainbow.com
UFOCatcher.com
SakuraMedia.com (This is a canadian site, so all prices are in Canadian)
YesAsia.com(They sell imports, but they tell you where there from. Usually the country of the series origin [i.e. Japan])
Forbidden Planet(A UK site, for all you Brits)
And now, a special new section! How to get anime cheaply AND legally!

I understand that people do not always have the money to spend upwards of $20 per disc. I understand that that's why most people buy counterfeits or just download it/watch it on YouTube.

But there are ways that you can still see your favorite series cheaply (or sometimes even FOR FREE).

Check out your library. Chances are they have a dvd or 2 you can watch. Yeah, it's a small selection, but its there and free (provided you return it on time).

Also, you can try video rental stores. Most have some sort of anime section.

You can also get a Netflix account. There's a plan there that fits anyone. Just think about how much anime you watch in a given month, and choose the plan that fits that. Chances are, even if you watch ungodly amounts of anime, renting from Netflix will be cheaper than buying the dvds. And Netflix still has to pay royalties to the studios that made the anime everytime someone rents from them. They also have a HUGE selection to choose from.

For more details, check out user Snookums thread:

Free and low-cost anime-LEAGALLY!

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hi

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*goes to Italy*


Ok, so as many of you don't know (exceptions are my friends and sister), last summer I went to Italy, home of the counterfeit Prada bag, on a cheap school sanctioned tour!

And while I was there, I got some first hand experience with dealing with bootleggers.

HEADS UP: The following anecdote has absolutely nothing to do with anime, but has a lot to do with how to deal with bootleggers in person (should you be so lucky).

There is one thing you need to know about me first, before I tell the story. I like to travel. And I like to experience all a country has to offer. And Italy offers a lot of bootlegs. In fact, though it's illeagal, it's considered a traveller's right of passage to buy a fake Gucci, or Dolce... whatever the rest of that is, or Prada something.

And while I was there, there was another problem to be dealt with: My lack of sunglasses in Sunny Firenze (Florence, for you english speakers).

And while waiting for the bus, without a bootleg or sunglasses, a street vendor shows up. Trouble brewing.

"Bella donna! Would you like a pair of genuine Gucci sunglasses? Only 40 euros!" he said, partially playing innocent, partially hitting on the "slutty" American girl. I walked over.

"Sorry, but, I don't buy fakes. Especially not over priced ones," I said cutely.

"Bella, they're real. Check for yourself." Oh yeah. Tell someone who knows what to look for in a bootleg to check out a bootleg.

HEADS UP: This next section is slightly exaggerated for emphasis on the quality of the counterfeit.

"Hmm. I think I might," I said smuggly. "Ok, lessee: The word 'Gucci' is spelled 'Guchi', the font is wrong, 'Gucci' is put on them in place of the logo, the lens has already broken off just from my handling them. Care to prove they're real?" By this time, I had attracted a crowd of my travelling companions, one of whom was smart enough to figure out what was going on, and started cheering me on.

HEADS UP: I'm finished exaggerating. Oddly enough, the rest of this little tale is true!

"Alright, they're fake," he snapped. "Just don't tell your friends, putana!"

"Do you really think I'm not going to buy these? Do you think that highly of me? Just lower the price. And quickly, I have to get on the bus."

"For you, 20 euros! Fair?" The bus arrived.

"No. And arrivaderci." I got on the bus. He started following.

"FINE! 10 euros! They're a quality fake!" he said excitedly.

"They're quality, you say? 2 euros," I handed him the money and physically pushed him off. The bus took off with the driver and tour guide cheering and laughing. The vendor ran after it shouting something incoherent in Italian.

I opened my window and shouted at him: "Adossi il cafonismo come un mantello! (You wear stupidity like a mantle!)" Oh yeah. I learned how to speak profane Italian. I wasn't about to let some two bit vendor get the best of me. In fact I still have the book on how to speak it.

He stopped and just looked shocked and confused. That was the last I ever saw of him.

I still think I got ripped off, though.

*goes to a con*


Ok, my goals for Ikasucon were simple: Buy a doujinshi, buy a Japanese Authentic plushie, buy many other nifty things, and then go to workshops and go home. Well, didn't find ANY of the first two, so I was pissed off.

And then I found out that my archnemisis Cartoon Passion had itself a rather large booth there. You see, Cartoon Passion and I have a bit of a history of hating each other. It started when I naively bought something from them online. They never processed my order. It took them 2 polite emails and 5 angry ones from me to realize I had even PLACED an order in the first place, and then it still took another 5 WEEKS for delivery. At this point I hated them, and swore I'd never buy anything again, and would find some reason to give others another reason not to buy from them either. I found that reason. They were slapping people's fanart that they worked so hard on on things like mugs and mousepads without telling them. At this point, I decided that they were going down.

Back to the con story. I walked over to their booth and as expected, they were pulling the same s**t I thought they would. Selling fake goods like counterfeit plushies and fanart wallets. I started loudly pointing out all the counterfeits to a friend. And I mean loudly. Loud enough for the people buying them to put them back and leave with their money and pride. The man working the booth asked me to leave, I was driving away business.

"Good," I said, "I guess I'll be staying!"

He got pissed. He said if I didn't leave, he'd ban me from all locations. I gave him the go ahead.

"I think we've established I won't be buying from you. Ever." I told him.

And so he did. He got my name and address, and now if they catch me at any of their stores, I'll be escorted out, and all online orders will not be placed.

And I sat down next to the booth. Didn't say a word, but I was there. Because he was now powerless. He couldn't do anything worse than give me a lifetime banning. He couldn't call for security, he was selling counterfeits, and I'd rat him out first chance I got. Who would they arrest? The girl sitting next to the booth in peaceful protest, or they guy selling illegal fakes?

After about 5 minutes of basking in my newfound sense of utmost power, I got bored and wandered off to look at some of the other booths (all of which were bootleg free to my knowledge). I got some skippy new stuff, but that's about it. Except for the banning.


***NOTE: I do feel sorry for the guy I tortured, and I don't condone my own behavior, but HOT DAMN! My first lifetime banning! And from someplace I truely hate!

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Heh, back again neh? ^^

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Xsasuxnaru.X
Heh, back again neh? ^^
Back and better than ever! Hopefully this one will be more informative.

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Urgh. I can't resist.

I bought an evangelion box set on Amazon. It was about fifty five dollars.

..Actually it was fifty five dollars and sixty eight cents.

When I got it, I was confused 'cause it came in one of those protector envelopes instead of a box >.>;

But, there it was, four discs in one case, three discs for the episodes and one for both movies.

I didn't complain because I just wanted to watch my damn anime.. but I probably should have. XD;

The menus were all done actually extremely good.. and the anime wasn't bad quality..

But I really wanted the actual box set... >.<

Ah, well.

And that's all I have to say about that. >.>;

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Laralas
Urgh. I can't resist.

I bought an evangelion box set on Amazon. It was about fifty five dollars.

..Actually it was fifty five dollars and sixty eight cents.

When I got it, I was confused 'cause it came in one of those protector envelopes instead of a box >.>;

But, there it was, four discs in one case, three discs for the episodes and one for both movies.

I didn't complain because I just wanted to watch my damn anime.. but I probably should have. XD;

The menus were all done actually extremely good.. and the anime wasn't bad quality..

But I really wanted the actual box set... >.<

Ah, well.

And that's all I have to say about that. >.>;
My sister bought that one.

Not all bootlegs are bad quality, but even so, the dvds tend to wear out more quickly.

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I bought some stickers at a dollar store (shoulda been my first tip), and later found out they were pirated. I felt rather depressed, and now I don't know what to do with them. I don't want to USE them, so they're just sitting somewhere in the bottom of my desk drawer. sweatdrop

Very interesting and informative thread, by the way. It's inspired me to go around checking all the tags on things I currently own in hopes they weren't made for DIRTY MONEY. DIRTY! mad

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DVD's I typically know better, but merchandise like figures and the like rope me in a little easier. However, there have been cases where I've known full well it's a counterfeit and bought it anyway because I liked how it looked. neutral

The latter is very very rare since quality is usually shoddy, but it's happened and I won't lie.
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