Best practices for buying videos online
Per Next Search Catalog policy:
The Next Search Catalog administrators reserve the right to remove any advanced copies or pirated materials found in Next Search Catalog.
Over the last 10 years, there has been a particular problem is a particular problem with DVDs bought from third party sellers on Amazon.com
The best practices for buying videos online are:
Never buy from ebay or sites no one has ever heard of. You don’t know what you’ll be getting.
Don’t buy from third party sellers on amazon.com
Do buy from trustworthy sources like Midwest Tape or Baker and Taylor.
Almost every library using Next Search Catalog uses Midwest Tape to manage their Hoopla collections. Many libraries purchase materials through Baker and Taylor. Both of these companies are reputable sources for books and media, so it would be extraordinarly unliekly that they would sell you pirated materials.
If you are going to buy from Amazon, be sure that the product you’re buying “Ships from” and is “Sold by” amazon.com.
Third party sellers on Amazon can open a new storefront on Amazon in a matter or minutes, sell unauthorized copies for a few hours and make some money, then when Amazon finds out and shuts them down, they’ll create a new Amazon marketplace account, open a new store with a new name, and sell more unauthorized copies until the demand dries up. The best way to avoid buying unauthorized content is to make sure you’re buying directly from Amazon.com.
A new sign that a feature film you’re purchasing might be pirated is if it was produced by Apple TV+.
Currently Apptle TV+ has an unofficial policy of not releasing the movies they produce on physical media. Apple TV+ is in the business of making content for their streaming platform and their unoficial policy is designed to force consumers to sign up for Apple TV+ if they want to see movies like KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON or GREYHOUND.
