Hi

I searched this forum, didn't really find anything.
google's not come up with much either.

but the question has been burning my brain quite a bit.

here's the situ:

I've got 200-250 dvd's to somehow get from europe (germany) to the United States. (this is my archive, and i'm moving from germany to the US).


I'm not sure the best way to do this.

I would prefer to bring them with me in my checked luggage.
(4-5 spindles of 50 each).

the media itself: most of it is marked simply with a number (which corresponds to it's place in the catalog). some stuff (older stuff already burned) has contents written on the disk, these are mostly buried near the bottom of the spindle. the top few dvd's of each spindle are unmarked.
I have the original outer packaging for 4 spindles, (label/plastic wrap) I will be using that, basically so they look like new blanks at a quick glance.


aaaanyways... i'm nervous about going through customs.
and I know that, if I look nervous, they will smell it, so i'm trying to see if I can get any idea of if/how I should approach this.

anyone have/know anyone who's tried to do this before?

or have any experience entering the US with any larger-than-a-couple-disks quantity of media?


My backup plan is to package it up and send it to me in the US via DHL.
I just know that will take a while (the cheapest option is via land/ship, i may or may not do airmail) ... and I on the one hand, am very attatched to my archive and want to keep it close by at all times ... on the other hand, I don't want to risk having it taken from me.


please, advise!

Buy a few 100 pack spindles, put a few of the correct spindle discs at the top, and seal the 100 pack up again as new with all the packaging still there. I would get a few 100 pack spindles, and make some of them contain only original media. If they ask so much, just say media is cheaper in Germany. As long as the first few bits of media are correct I doubt they will check it all, especially if there is no writing on the discs that's suggests questionable content.

Ben

no, the blanks are already purchased, and I am halfway or more through the burning already.

these are 50 spindles.

(sorry if I sound annoyed, I don't mean to, I just thought it was clear from my first post what the situ was ... I guess I shoulda proofed it ..)

I understand, what I am saying is that if you put them in packaiging of normal blank media they wont check them. Just put the burned discs back in a cakebox that still has all the labels on it about being blank media etc.

For example if you put all the burned discs in something like this:

it would not look like the media in there was burned.

Am I missing something?

If I came into the country with a few spindles of burnt discs, and they gave me ANY crap... I'd be shocked and amazed.

WHY would they care what DVD's you bring into the country? You burnt a bunch of DVD's. Maybe they have movies that you legally own, maybe they have data, maybe they have porn, maybe they have pictures of your dog. Maybe they have hours and hours of Croatian Yodeling, or videos of Yaktar - the combination martial art/improvisational mime from Antigua.

Who knows and who CARES? Customs officials aren't going to fuck with your personal stack of cd's!

I have to agree with Gurm, you shouldn't have any problems, that's not enough discs to get red flagged!

Normally they only stop people coming from Asia with 3 suitcases loaded with pirate discs with labels allready on. I doubt they will care about a few cake boxes. Doesn't hurt to be paranoid sometimes though. Just don't mention it to them, and carry on like you don't have them and it will go fine.

just wondering,
Is the content on the disks iligeal, or is it arround 1TB of data or photos of your dog???

it's probably more like 1TB worth of Croatian Yodeling!!!!!!

yeah, just tell the custom officials that it's 1TB worth of pictures of your dog Skip!!!!!

If they start to become suspicious then just tell them that you love your dog very..very much!!!!!

Seriously... I'm trying to figure out why anyone would be stopped. Even WITH suitcases full of DVD's with labels and everything. Maybe you just like carrying DVD's around. Maybe it's because I'm FROM the USA, and we sort of take our rights for granted. If I were stopped on the way into the country with 5 spindles of DVD's, and they had a problem with it, I'd have their fucking heads on a platter.

I will try to avoid commenting on your boasts -- I suspect if you take a moment, you will realize that you might not be quite so defiant and confrontational with members of law enforcement (which is what US Customs agents are) -- people who can and do seize such items, and who can and do arrest in cases where the quantities are large enough, or the materials are egregious enough.

He is right to be concerned. And, yes, Customs most certainly will seize the stuff, assuming they discover it and assuming they discover the truth about what is on the discs.

US Customs has a lot of information at their website regarding this issue (a link on their main page will take you to tons of documents regarding how proud they are to be vigilant in seizing counterfeit media, or “bootleg” media.

Also, when they do seize more than a few, they tend to trumpet it by calling the news. This link is an example, note that the stuff came in on a regular international flight:

http://www.customs.gov/hot-new/press...99/1013-00.htm

Here is a document which explains their policies on copyright violation and trademark violation:

http://www.customs.gov/xp/cgov/impor...forcement/ipr/


From the US Customs website:

Trademarked and Copyrighted Articles
CBP 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.

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.

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.

=== End of snippet ===

-Bruce

ship 'em...they're heavy anyway...

I agree with drpino, 1. its more safe 2. they are pretty heavy and 3. you will fell much more better (trust me...u WILL fell better )

Best luck wht ur decission ,

babychar2002

thanks for all the responses

I had a feeling, my gut has been leaning towards the safe option, shipping.
Much much less risky.

thanks for the information, BSpielbauer. I thought Customs might be likely to be involved in this sort of enforcement particularly. They were involved in some of the big busts the past couple years.

and, considering that, this is indeed not a TB of yodeling ... it's all rather 'shady'.
As I said, it's only my archive, nothing meant to sell, ... but still.

Thanks again for the advises

I shipped about 500 DVD/CD's from the US to France (and then onto the UK!) without Customs giving a damn. They contained software (all erm, opensource) and movies, erm of my dog. They never even opened the box.

Basically Customs want their taxes - I think they'd be more concerned if you brought a load of blanks through [to sell].

Then again, you are talking about the US, where the MPAA and RIAA make the laws and the senators get fat off of Disney.

I agree with BSpielbauer. Have any of you ever gone thru US customs?

I have, it can be an intimidating experience even if you have nothing to hide.

U.S. citizen or not, it makes no difference.

It is a much slower process since 911.


Besides, you risk being jailed, fined, deported and who knows what else.

Ship the DVD's.

Regards,

heh, they couldn't deport me, as I'm a US citizen.
which I suppose would make the 'risk' greater if I were to try to 'smuggle' them in my luggage.
but jail or fine, neither would help my future _at all_.

now, i just hope no one opens the box ...

maybe if i individually wrap the spindles in giftwrap or so, they'd be more inclined to leave it alone and let it along it's route ...

Before you ship them, copy the most valuable dvds into HDD(s) and bring them with you.

btw, they all will look like this, and 3 of 4 I still have the plasticwrap for, that I will tape back on.




yeah, i'm bringing 2 hdd's with me as well, one will be empty (for a new install once I build a computer) and the other will have some of the more important stuff on it. it's only a 120 gig tho, and dvd blanks are simply cheaper.

If you keep them in those DVD-R cases and dont manke it to obvious they have been re-sealed you should be fine. However, rememebr that if they spot that it has been re-sealed they will become suspicious, and it may give them a reason to check (still unlikely though).

take the labels completely off and tape them closed with a note saying "Computer" or "Hard Drive" BACKUPS...that's more than legitimate and plausible...

Ship it. As confucious would say, "how much is piece of mind worth?"

For me at least, its worth at least 200 bucks to ship your precious DVD collection. I love mine, and would absolutely be beside myself if I lost it to a customs agent. Spend the cash to ship it. The sleep you get is worth it!!!

Totally agree with cbboy777

Best Luck,

babychar2002

If you're worried at all, ship them back.

But honestly, I have been through customs with one spindle at least, maybe two. Unmarked, unlabeled. Nobody said a WORD.

And if they did, so what? You are legally entitled to have backups of your movies. Nobody saw you violate the DMCA in order to make those copies. Fair Use says they're legal.