Wat's the law in UK on selling R1 discs?
06-12-00, 01:01 PM
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Hi,
I am really confused on what the law is with these R1 discs in the UK.
I do not see any UK companies selling them (Amazon, DVDstreet, etc.; play247 does butthat is because it is based abroad) and i get the feeling it is against intellectual property law.
But, I see them regularly sold in auction houses in the UK (Ebay, qxl to name a few), And then when it comes to VCDs, there is a further confusion.
I tried to sell my OFFICIAL Back to the Future Trilogy VCDs on Qxl last month and they took it off, threatening to close my account with them because i was breaching intellectual property law. However, they and no other person on this planet has provided me with an explanation why the Region 1 discs are not a breach and are allowed.
Both My VCDs and R1 discs are official and both purchased outside the UK and are being re-sold in the UK.
Surely the rules must be the same? Either i am allowed to sell my VCD, or R1 discs being sold on UK auction houses are blatantly illegal. If this is so, why is it they take off my VCD and not the R1 DVDs?
Please help guys, thanks.
I am really confused on what the law is with these R1 discs in the UK.
I do not see any UK companies selling them (Amazon, DVDstreet, etc.; play247 does butthat is because it is based abroad) and i get the feeling it is against intellectual property law.
But, I see them regularly sold in auction houses in the UK (Ebay, qxl to name a few), And then when it comes to VCDs, there is a further confusion.
I tried to sell my OFFICIAL Back to the Future Trilogy VCDs on Qxl last month and they took it off, threatening to close my account with them because i was breaching intellectual property law. However, they and no other person on this planet has provided me with an explanation why the Region 1 discs are not a breach and are allowed.
Both My VCDs and R1 discs are official and both purchased outside the UK and are being re-sold in the UK.
Surely the rules must be the same? Either i am allowed to sell my VCD, or R1 discs being sold on UK auction houses are blatantly illegal. If this is so, why is it they take off my VCD and not the R1 DVDs?
Please help guys, thanks.
06-12-00, 02:03 PM
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Get ready.
Right....it is not illegal to order r1 dvd's from abroad if they are for personal viewing.
However, it is illegal to import dvd's into the uk and resell them, hence play247 being based in jersey. However, you do find some uk sites offering r1 discs, but they don't hold stock, they will offer a 'personal import service' which is a pile of c***, 'cos all they will do is order from somewhere like dvdboxoffice.com (who are the cheapest so far for UK shippings
).
I don't understand the qxl thing myself either....but try auctioning on yahoo.co.uk ....there's loadsa region1 stuff on there.
You don't pay VAT on anything under £18, but on the off chance, if the package is big, customs might bill u. So they say, hasn't happened to me yet.
Anything else?
Right....it is not illegal to order r1 dvd's from abroad if they are for personal viewing.
However, it is illegal to import dvd's into the uk and resell them, hence play247 being based in jersey. However, you do find some uk sites offering r1 discs, but they don't hold stock, they will offer a 'personal import service' which is a pile of c***, 'cos all they will do is order from somewhere like dvdboxoffice.com (who are the cheapest so far for UK shippings
).I don't understand the qxl thing myself either....but try auctioning on yahoo.co.uk ....there's loadsa region1 stuff on there.
You don't pay VAT on anything under £18, but on the off chance, if the package is big, customs might bill u. So they say, hasn't happened to me yet.
Anything else?
06-12-00, 02:23 PM
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Cheers for the info Essexboy.
The Qxl thing bothers me the most though.
You said that you cannot buy from abroad and resell in the UK. That would imply that all UK based auction houses allowing this are in breach?!
How can this be? Cos it's still done - i've seen auction houses take off football tickets cos that's touting, the fact that they leave the Region 1 DVDs on must mean that it is, in fact, legal then. Right?
The Qxl thing bothers me the most though.
You said that you cannot buy from abroad and resell in the UK. That would imply that all UK based auction houses allowing this are in breach?!
How can this be? Cos it's still done - i've seen auction houses take off football tickets cos that's touting, the fact that they leave the Region 1 DVDs on must mean that it is, in fact, legal then. Right?
06-12-00, 02:31 PM
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In an auction, you are allegedly selling a personal good that has been owned by you and is no longer required, in a round-a-bout kinda way, therefore are not specifically importing to resell. I know this is generally not the case, but how do you prove such a thing without hassel?
How much u selling that VCD set for anyway
Out of interest. What's the quality like?
How much u selling that VCD set for anyway
Out of interest. What's the quality like?
06-12-00, 04:50 PM
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quote:<HR>Originally posted by westham:
The reason why british based sites and retailers can't sell R1 discs is because they have not got a BBFC certificate. <HR>
Damn right. Due to the UK's archaic licensing laws, it's illegal to sell ANY video recording that's not been classified by the BBFC. Although the intention behind this bit of legislation is (mainly) to stop porno from being sold, it has the convenient side effect of allowing the studios to have anyone selling US discs in the UK prosecuted. However (as far as I know) it's not illegal to buy unclassified material for your own use, and it's not illegal to import it, so long as it doesn't violate any local laws on obscene material (so, no importing "proper" porn from the US either.) You may be liable for import tax on goods, but that's a whole 'nother thing, with nothing to do with the whole copyright issue.
As for QXL, they're full of s***. They probably thought that those VCDs were along the same lines as the Star Wars "official" VCDs that keep popping up on Fleabay. Sell 'em somewhere else, you'll probably get a muchh better price for 'em anyway...
