I have copied a bunch of movie and TV series videos that I bought legally in Thailand onto the hard drive of my laptop computer. I am wondering if it is ever a problem bringing them into other countries as it is pretty hard to prove that they are legitimate copies once they have been transfered to a hard drive. The USA concerns me most as they are so strict there.

I have copied a bunch of movie and TV series videos that I bought legally in Thailand onto the hard drive of my laptop computer. I am wondering if it is ever a problem bringing them into other countries as it is pretty hard to prove that they are legitimate copies once they have been transfered to a hard drive. The USA concerns me most as they are so strict there.

I heard about of a friend of a friend who had trouble going into the UK with precisely that problem and supposedly someone else in the USA -- but I can NOT vouch for the veracity of either story.

Pretty useless reply, actually...

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Ulysses G.

How would they (Immigration) know what you got on the hard drive, do they actually check computers when arriving?

I've never seen anybody's laptop checked during all my travels there. I always travel with a 1GB external drive filled with movies and TV shows...all obtained legally of course.

Of course my experience doesn't mean it couldn't happen.

I thought that to rip from a DVD to another source was illegal.

Security usually ask for you to turn it on, but do not look at what is on the computer.

So it's illegal to copy a DVD? Interestingly, no. Judges have said that consumers have a right to copy a DVD for their own use—say, for backing it up to another disk or perhaps watching it on another device, such as an iPod. That's the same "fair use" rule that made it legal to tape television shows for watching later, perhaps on a different TV. The problem is that consumers can't duplicate DVDs without software tools that get around the copy protection on those disks. It is those tools that Congress outlawed.

Is it still legal to copy a CD? The same fair use doctrine allows consumers to copy their music disks to computers and other devices. Because CDs don't have anything to protect them from being copied, it's also legal to distribute software for "ripping" them to a PC's hard drive. The ripping software doesn't have to circumvent any anticopy protections.

Note above that the software to rip DVD's is considered illegal though.

USNews

Saudi is the only place I know of where they check laptop and portable hard drives and that is when arriving on a vessel to work there.

Maybe they're focusing more on porn. It would be a safe bet that they couldn't give a rats ass about anything else..

Just my opinion

Of course they check computers and hard drives when entering the USA. They are checking men coming from Thailand/Asia for evidence of child sex tourism. There is a possibility of having your digital material searched.

Edited January 10, 201313 yr by ricklev

I've been told by a reliable source that Canadian customs often check laptop contents. I haven't gone back to Canada yet, so I haven't had mine checked yet.

I had my Laptop, Camera disk, and thumb drive all checked by Canadian customs. That was 1 time out of 3 arrivals. It took about an hour and they didn't find anything, but it was a bit of a pain. I don't think they check every computer. Like eeeya said, they're probably looking predominantly for child porn.

I wonder why you got flagged for a full check?

Were you wearing a trench coat and sporting a seedy mustache?

I wonder why you got flagged for a full check?

Were you wearing a trench coat and sporting a seedy mustache?

Or an "I love Pattaya" t-shirt?

I travel for work bringing multiple computers/harddisks in the country (Thailand) never had a problem. Also not in Europe.

It's like what Clint Eastwood says "do I feel lucky"

Customs officials of many countries will check the content of digital information holders, such as lap tops, flash cards etc. Mainly searching for child porn.

Traveling alone, being over 40 and comming from a country like Thailand or Cambodia one is more likely to have the content to be searched.

Going through Canadian customs now for many years and never had my laptop nor external drive checked. Even a spindle of discs wasn't looked at.

Been through US customs in transit several times, too, and never anything from them, other than the usual US hassles.

Only thing Canadian customs ever really hassled me about was a half kilo of roasted cashews I had bought in a market. Had to listen to a bloody idiot from Agriculture Canada give me a lecture about bringing food into the country. Now I just indicate that yes, I am carrying something (often a bag of fresh prik kee nu I've bought at the market) and they've never asked to see it since then.

Of course they check computers and hard drives when entering the USA. They are checking men coming from Thailand/Asia for evidence of child sex tourism. There is a possibility of having your digital material searched.

Never seen it, never heard about it - maybe you hang out with the wrong crowd? lol

Amazing what I brought in to The Netherlands the last few years. Dried squid, fresh fruit (mango) dried fruit, dries spices, herbs, dvd's, electronics, I even brought a Playstation in my suitcaste last time with books full of games (to thailand). No worries, smooth as always.

Of course they check computers and hard drives when entering the USA. They are checking men coming from Thailand/Asia for evidence of child sex tourism. There is a possibility of having your digital material searched.

Never seen it, never heard about it - maybe you hang out with the wrong crowd? lol

You think that accusing me of associating with pedophiles is funny? I don't think its funny.

Edited January 10, 201313 yr by ricklev

Second time I came back from Thailand, into San Francisco, they searched all my computers (I had a work and personal laptop with me). I was specifically asked about porn, so they where trying catch pedophiles. I didn't have any movies at all, so I can't comment on what they would have done if I had some copied DVDs...

USA customs does check digital storage such as laptops and external storage devices when alerted by Immigration and randomly. I have witnessed such checks at LA and Houston. Your looks have noting to do with it.

Bull sh1t.. "looks" is profiling 101.

All the customs guards just standing there... what do you think they're looking at

Edited January 10, 201313 yr by eeeya

Providing you do not upload these files onto P2P sites, or the public domain, either to share or for money, or make a business out of selling this stuff, than usually the possessor of these items should have no problems.

But this does not mean having obtained these downloads from P2P sites, Internet share sites, and other dubious means is legal. This is really based on fine law and the rules are not exactly defined. It all depends on what is covered by copyright restriction practices, what isn’t and whether or not permissions were granted and by whom.

As for taking these items through customs or passing on copies to family and friends and so on, than you do so at your own risk and discretion.

My advice is: keep the material for your own personal home use only and not push your luck.

Bull sh1t.. "looks" is profiling 101.

All the customs guards just standing there... what do you think they're looking at

Actually, whether they are profiling based on looks or not, they are certainly not doing only that: they look very hard at behavior and other possible signs. If you have the least non-threatening appearance possible and fit no "profile" for terrorist or drug smuggler or whatever, but if for example, you behave furtively and nervous - or too obviously the opposite - you'll be scrutinized.

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If you are that worried, copy the files over to an external hard drive, encrypt with a free program like true crypt and send the hard drive through the post.

I've been in and out of the US many times a year for many years. I've never had my laptop checked, even when returning from Thailand, other parts of Asia, the Middle East, South America, or wherever. Can it happen? I'm sure it can. But I've never seen it.

I understood it to be true that customs can stop and search, but for media (songs, movies, series, etc) they have to have a representitive of the "owner" company present before any charges can be brought forward (if that was their want). Same goes for clothing and other copy goods, as they do not have the expertise to say if it is real or not.

What would stop them saying you had pirate software running on your computer? Customs are there to do a job, but their powers are not infinite.............

Of course porn and other dodgy material on your hard drives is a completely different matter.

Thanks for all the replies. It sounds like I would be taking a slight chance of getting bothered by customs, but not much chance of any type of legal consequences.