I'm sure Im not the only one who has bought a copy. I have learned the hard way. Here's a guide on ideas to either spot a copy for sale , what to look for and what may or may not be a copy. Also what to do if you buy  a copy unwittingly.

What to watch out for.

• Look carefully at the listing and photos. Is the seller using the barcode and the stock photo? When someone lists a DVD for use in your region there will be a specific number next to the bar code. They enter this number in and e-bay then fills in the item specifics including a stock photo of the front cover. If there is a pale photo, no item specifics ( or perhaps just the "new " tag used) then it could be a copy. Look carefully at any photo.
• Is it available on the regular market for your region?  This is how I got caught out. I wanted a particular TV show from Britain and found it listed on e-bay - even listed as region 1 ( see regions below). That particular TV show was just recently released in the UK but NOT in the USA. I only found this out after I got the copy. Check out if the movie, film or TV show has been released in your region, if it hasn't then it's probably a copy. The regions are listed below for your information

Region 0: no coding, will play in any country

 Region 1: United States, Canada, United States Territories

 Region 2: Europe, Japan, South Africa, Middle East, Greenland, and the UK

Region 3: Southeast Asia, East Asia (including Hong Kong). yes I know HK is in china now but it wasn't when the regions were fixed.

Region 4: Mexico, Central America, South America, Caribbean, Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands

Region 5: Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, India, most of Africa, Mongolia, North Korea

Region 6: China

Note Region 0 is not often made by reputable manufacturers - I personally don't trust that region coding.

• Has the movie been released anywhere yet? Not every movie, TV show ever made has been released on DVD. There are some movies that are just being released 25 years after they were made. The Studios have to obtain copyrights, clean up the originals, digitise them and sometimes re-format them to play on a dvd. This takes time. Check out a movie database to see if has been released. Normally  there will be a link on the page to someone who sells that item . If there is no listing or no link to a seller then it's my bet that it isn't legally available.
• How many sellers are there for that one item you want.  If the item is from a major TV station anywhere in the world check out their home page on the net. If it is available for your area then OK , go back to e-bay and bid, but if it's not listed on their site, beware.  If there are only one or two sellers listing the item then check their feedback. You may have to go back a long way into their history but someone will have complained about a copy if it is one. If they appear to be a new member - just send them a message asking if it comes with the original manufacturer's box and seal. Keep a copy of the reply in the messages section so if there is a problem later you have it for proof.
• It plays on your computer but not on a DVD player. Copies can play great on your computer - especially if a computer made the copy- but the quality level really drops on a DVD player or does't play at all. Copiers use software to copy discs and sometimes reduce the quality to speed up the process. Some DVD players have problems sometimes with any DVD, try cleaning the disc with a DRY cloth carefully.

Reporting a copy.

E-bay is quite adament about sellers not listing copies yet many still seem to get through the net. OK, ebay has a tough job on their hands. There are MILLIONS of items listed Every Day, to screen each and every one would be prohibative to say the least, so they have to rely on us mere mortals to inform them that you obtained a copy via their service. They WILL investigate. If you are angry enough you may want to go even further and report it to various authorities, but please don't miss out e-bay, they want to know. Just follow the links in the reporting a problem section. If you just send it back and get a refund then there is no evidence to back up your claim.

If you wanted that particular item so badly but got tricked then why not tell someone in the company that should have made the disc in the first place. I did and as a thank-you I got the whole series, formatted correctly FREE of charge. Sometimes being honest pays!

So as a finishing summary I think it's worthwhile to do some research on the web.