We've posted information about bootleg sites here before, but unfortunately people continue to fall for the scam - a "complete series" for a good price that's guaranteed to play in "any DVD player worldwide." In fact, the weeks before and after Christmas, we were receiving upwards of 20 emails a week from people wondering where their DVD sets were, having stumbled upon TVShowsOnDVD.com with the belief they actually purchased something from us (which is impossible, since we don't sell DVDs). Additionally, countless emails asked us whether _______ site was legit.
These emails lead to the creation of the "
Bootleg Sites" tab you'll find in the navigation area on the left. This section allows a user to submit a URL which is checked against our ever-expanding list of bootleg sites. If the URL is matched then the user is notified, and if no match is found then an email is automatically sent to us to investigate. There are currently
153 known bootleg sites in the database, and it's growing all the time (3 sites have been added today). The page also includes a FAQ regarding bootleg DVD sets, experiences others have had when ordering a set, and what can be done to combat bootlegs.
If you have any questions or comments please feel free to use the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of the page and address them to "Gord Lacey." Studios, websites wishing to block these sites in Google AdWords, or enforcement agencies can receive an updated list of bootleg sites by request.
Thanks to our users we have already added more than 40 newbootleg sites to the database. Keep them coming!
A few people pointed out the irony of seeing a bootleg Batman DVD ad appearing in the Google AdWords below. Yes, that's one HUGE problem with Google AdWords - Google accepts money from bootleggers even though it's against their policies. These ads have to be manually blocked on the site, but in order to do so we have to know the site exists (another reason for this form - you guys are letting us know about sites to block). I drop
everything and enter a bootleg site into the list blocked on the site when I discover a new site, but it can take 24 hours for the list to be updated in the ads seen on the site.
