A question on DCMA

[mikeathome]

Hi,

Background:
I got a new assignment in the US, relocating from Germany.
Over the years I collected a couple of DVD copies from the period prior to the 01/09/03 -the effective date of the german DCMA law pedant- but obviously after the US DCMA was already in place.
On top of this I usually do a copy of all my game CDs/DVDs since my son is a real genius in finding and inadequate usage of them (I lost two or three due to this prior to that measure).
All of my owned ~1000 Audio CDs are encoded on DVD-R for usage in Car.

Question:
Who could give me a recommendation, what should I leave in Germany and what can be imported to the US w/o the expectation of any hassle at the german and/or US customs ?

regards, mike

[adam]

Backups of games are fine, the rest aren't. It really doesn't matter though because customs really couldn't care less. The worst they will do is just confiscate them, and if they do that they are going to just take everything they find. That's usually the way it is.

[Mug Funky]

so long as it doesn't look like a gun or knife in the metal detector you'll be fine.

(hehe.. i accidentally took my stanley knife from melbourne to adelaide and wasn't noticed. as an art and design student from way back, i always carry one with me just in case i have to cut some paper)

[edit]

to make this on topic... i don't think customs really can do toooo much about things. it is after all your personal data, and probably a full system backup. if they try to confiscate sensitive info off you i'm pretty sure it's a huge breach of what they're allowed to do. it's tantamount to reading your mail.

[adam]

Originally posted by Mug Funky

to make this on topic... i don't think customs really can do toooo much about things. it is after all your personal data, and probably a full system backup. if they try to confiscate sensitive info off you i'm pretty sure it's a huge breach of what they're allowed to do. it's tantamount to reading your mail.

Not in the US at least. By law, customs is required to seize any material that infringes on a registered copyright, that has also been registered with the US Customs Department. And a customs officer has the authority to search anything of yours that they need to, including your mail. Shipped packages are opened, inspected, and confiscated all the time if the contents look suspicious. If you look at the policies of those Malaysian companies that export bootleg DVD Silvers, you'll see that they will refund X amount of your money if your package is seized at customs. Its just an occupational hazard for them.

As for finding a generic burnt disk on your person, yeah I'm sure Customs wouldn't care. But if you came through with 1000, or even several hundred obviously burnt disks, and you happened to be one of the ones that either got randomly searched or specifically targeted for other reasons, I bet they'd take em.

[mikeathome]

Thank you folks for all the answers. Very helpful advises so far.
I most likely will ship everything (complete household) in a sea container. Among the usual stuff of living, eventually the CDs/DVDs. Do you see any harm in doing so ?

regards, mike

[Joe Fenton]

Customs check less than 2% of whatever comes into port. Unless they get a hit with the drug hounds, your stuff is not likely to be even considered. I'd just label it as "home stereo and video equipment." That on a list of household items won't raise an eyebrow, and it's true. That's really all it is.

[mikeathome]

Originally posted by Joe Fenton
Customs check less than 2% of whatever comes into port. Unless they get a hit with the drug hounds, your stuff is not likely to be even considered. I'd just label it as "home stereo and video equipment." That on a list of household items won't raise an eyebrow, and it's true. That's really all it is.

Thanks for the hint.

I am may sound be a bid paranoid, but had grown up in a communist regime...

mike