How To Spot Fake/Bootleg DVDs

It has come to our attention that certain unauthorized DVD additions, commonly known as bootleg copies, have recently surfaced in our consortium catalog. One such instance pertains to the movie “Greyhound,” starring Tom Hanks. While these additions are not intentional, it is imperative that we address this matter promptly and take proactive steps to prevent such occurrences in the future.

In light of this, we are disseminating this communication to raise awareness among all staff members regarding the issue of bootleg copies and to provide essential guidance on identifying them before purchase or inclusion in the catalog.

• Amazon.com is a great resource for purchasing materials, but you may want to check Midwest Tape or other library material distributors to see if the title has been released, especially popular movies and TV shows. If you cannot find the title for purchase, the item might be a bootleg. Sometimes even checking the Amazon.com reviews may provide this information.

Here’s an example of an Amazon review:

• Donations can be sources of bootleg movies as well. While it is nice that your patron decided to share their recording of “Marcell the Shell with Shoes On”, you may want to see if it is actually available for purchase. Make note if this title is unavailable as a DVD in Midwest Tape, Amazon.com, or WorkFlows. The lack of a bibliographic record of a popular title might indicate the item is not yet released especially if there is no record in OCLC.

• Other things to look for in spotting a bootleg copy of an item (many of these tips taken from: https://www.wikihow.com/Spot-Fake-DVDs):
• Disc surface should be like a mirror. If it is blue, gold, or purple, it is most likely not a mass-produced DVD.
• Hold the DVD up to the light and tilt it to one side. You may be able to see a well-known manufacturer’s name, such as Maxell. If the disc has such a name, then the DVD was a burnable disc, and the disc’s contents are counterfeit.
• Check the cover. Real movies have high-quality manufacturer photos, and often fake ones have blurry, lack of color, and less detail type covers.
• Start watching the DVD. If there are no FBI warning, it may be a bootleg.

Here is a great website to view the release date of new and popular movies: https://www.newdvdreleasedates.com. If you look up on this site, Greyhound you can see that there is no DVD or Blu-Ray release date yet.