With unauthorized copies of movies and other media being sold around the world, you may be wondering whether that DVD you're eyeing is the real thing or a counterfeit. If you're shopping from a street market or online seller, here's how to check for authenticity and avoid getting ripped off.

1. Research the movie you want to buy. Find out how many versions have been officially released, what special features they have, and which regions they are encoded for. This will allow you to spot a fake more easily when you're shopping, and it will also give you a better sense of which deals are too good to be true.

• For example, genuine Disney DVDs are never "Region 0" or "playable in all regions" or "region 1 compatible." If you spot a Disney DVD advertising any of these things, you'll know the DVD is not authentic.

2. Look carefully at the covers, both back and front. The cover design should be the same as those for the same movie being sold through a reliable outlet (such as a large retail store). Variations in the cover design should make you suspicious because it's possible that a different cover was printed for pirated copies. If you see any words spelled incorrectly, it's a dead giveaway. Another thing to look for is image quality. Gritty images, matte paper and dull colors indicate that the cover was probably photocopied. THE UPC on the back of the DVD case should only be one color, black. If additional ink colors can be seen overlaid over the black in the UPC, or if there the lines in the UPC are indistinct because the image of the barcode has been re-processed with a halftone screen over it, then most likely the DVD case has been copied and re-printed.

• A. If you're thinking about ordering a DVD that doesn't come with a cover (most often advertised as being a former rental), don't.
• B. The absence of security seals and plastic wraps should also warrant suspicion.
• C. The advertisement of DVD-9 is associated with fake DVDs because official studio releases never advertise this distinction; it's counterfeit distributors who specify it to differentiate their products from lower-quality counterfeits. In general, any advertisement of "quality" is a red flag, as original releases have no reason to mention it.

3. Examine the actual DVD if you've already bought it. Chances are, you've played it and the quality is questionable enough for you to be reading this article to make sure. Some additional questions to ask are:

• A. Can you see through the DVD? If you can see through it very well, it is more than likely not authentic.
• B. Is its color different from those (like blue, gold or purple instead of silver)? If it is any of the colors listed above, it is most likely not a mass produced DVD.
• C. Look on the back. In the inner-most ring, there should be two sets of numbers. Are the sets short, or long? Do they have any lettering in them that can be easily recognized as an abbreviation? Most authentic DVDs have a very long set of numbers, which closely resemble each other. If it's short, the DVD might be authentic, but more than likely isn't. Most authentic DVDs do not have any abbreviations of companies or other things.
• D. 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 a name such as Maxell, then odds are the DVD was a burnable disc, easily available for under £1 ($2), and the disc's contents are counterfeit.

4. Put the DVD into your PC, click "My Computer," then click your player's drive. It will give you the size of the disc. There should be close to 5 GB used on a single layer or more on a double layer (but this varies depending on running time). Then go through Windows Explorer and right click on various files stored on the DVD to check properties. Look for the creation date. If the DVD is out of print, for example, and the date is recent, something isn't right.

• Complain to the seller. If it is a store or a business, contact them for a refund. If they refuse, file a report with the Better Business Bureau or your country's equivalent. If it's a street vendor, report them to your local authorities. And if it's an online seller, such as at an auction site, report them to the coordinating party and leave negative feedback. You can also report a seller of counterfeits to the studio's anti-piracy department.

Source: WikiHow