eBay theft.......???

[3Simon7]

Have a question about a recent purchase.

Here's what happened.....

I bought a rare VHS tape on eBay. I paid for it and received the following email
from the seller. I've only included the questionable part.....

'I will mail out your video tomorrow...
I made i copy for myself...'

Even though their spelling needs polishing it seems like they made a
copy of the video for themselves.

Since I bought the videotape from them doesn't it now belong to me?

If they made a copy for themselves aren't they stealing from me?

Interested in your opinions.

[thecoalman]

You can't own the contents of the tape, you own a tape with copyrighted material on it which has been licensed to the owner of the tape with many restrictions. When the tape is sold this license gets transferred to the new owner.

Any copies derived from that tape would be unauthorized reproductions but since you cannot legally own copies of it they can't be "stolen" from you but instead they are "stolen" from the copyright owner.

[guns1inger]

Something dodgy happening on eBay ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Say it ain't so.

[lordsmurf]

If they made a copy for themselves aren't they stealing from me?
Interested in your opinions.

Huh? How do you get that logic?

[gll99]

You say it is a "rare" VHS so that implies it's not a unique single original master but rather that it's a hard to find video.

Unless he was selling the copyright on the content to you then no he is not stealing from you but from the legitimate copyright holder.

If he sent you a copy and it was supposed to be an original vhs release then he would be stealing from you so you could complain to eBay.

[bendixG15]

More likely he's making your copy ..........

[3Simon7]

Hey everybody....... thanks for the replies.

The seller sent me an answer, saying that they
'bought a DVD of the same movie' and got ripped off.

Hmmmmmm, that's different than what they first said
but at least I'll be getting the original tape that was
legally produced.

Something dodgy happening on eBay ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Say it ain't so.

I know, it's hard to believe!

I've been careful ever since I bought some 'beautiful ocean-front property'
in Montana. The seller even helped me get a sub-prime reverse ARM mortgage.
:P

[Noahtuck]

If they made a copy for themselves aren't they stealing from me?
Interested in your opinions.

Huh? How do you get that logic?

That was the first thing i thought when i read it
Except my thoughts were not so..... reader friendly

[TechNight]

so did you ever get the tape