I am interested in finding out from other US importers of VCDs if there are Customs charges and how much they are. Also I would be grateful to hear personal stories of how well merchandise has gotten through customs, and how long it takes. I am interested in buying bulk amounts of VCDs for a few companies and do not want to lose lots of money. Also, does anyone know of any VCD dropshippers?

-- Mary Parks (powerparksgifts@hotmail.com), January 21, 2002

Answers

I am not a lawyer and have only bought a few VCDs for personal use. However, I do know a little about the law. You should be aware that while US law allows you to buy one copy of a VCD, audio CD, video tape, etc. for personal use, it does not give you the right to buy 10 copies of say Scary Movie 2 for resale in the US. For example, you could buy one copy each of 10 different VCDs and most likely have no issues with customs, but if you bought 10 copies of the same movie, you can not argue that it is for personal use. Technically, VCDs are not licensed for sale in the US. To do it legally, which I seriously doubt anyone does, you would have to get the help of a customs lawyer to make sure everything was covered. I have read about regular guys who imported VCDs in bulk for resale having their shipments confiscated by customs as being "bootlegs". This in not technically correct if the merchandise is legit, but the truth is that US Customs operates under a presumption of guilt and it can be VERY difficult to prove your shipment is legal. You are also getting into copyright and royalty issues, which is why VCDs are not licensed for sale in the US. The fact that some people sell them in the US is no indication that they are doing so legally and they simply may be lucky that they have never been caught. Customs has never charged me any duty on VCDs I have bought for personal use, but I buy in small quantities. Again, let me be clear - US citizens have the right under law to buy one copy of a particular VCD for their own personal use, but that law does not extend to buying multiple copies for resale in this country. Consult a customs attorney for advice to see if there is any way you can do this legally before you start and be prepared that even if you do find a legal way to do it, US Customs may still intercept your shipments and you may have to fight to get them back. And as I said before, the fact that some people may have gotten away with importing these discs for years and reselling them without proper permission is no indication that you will be so lucky or that their luck with continue. I have read in this very forum about seizures of shipments to guys trying to resell VCDs in this country.

-- Jason (Jason.Shumate@equant.com), January 21, 2002.