Pirated or Bootleg copys of dvds are illegally made copies of a original dvd. They are produced without the consent of the copyright holder. Some are fakes of legitimate goods, others are "original" as they are based on the anime or manga but are not like official merchandise.why would anyone sell something that they know is ilegally made? well, some retailers are unaware that they are selling unlicensed goods, this could be because they don't know enough about anime goods, or maybe they want to make a bigger profit, as unlicensed goods are cheaper. Some retailers knowingly sell these goods. If they are cheaper than the real thing why shouldnt i buy them, i would save a lot of money. This is a good question. Heres why.Unless you live in Taiwan or another country that hasn't signed the Berne Convention it is illegal to import them, your customs office has the right to confiscate these goods and would probably destroy them, you wouldn't get a refund of any kind either. US Citizens should note it is also a federal offence to import, buy, sell or trade these goods.Often the production of unlicensed goods is used by organised crime to launder money made from selling drugs, pornography and prostitution and to generally expand "business" opportunities.Who would want to support those type of things?! Also quality of the goods is often a lot less than official goods. They haven't been tested by the relevant safety bodies and could be harmful to children. Bootleg copies are rampant on the internet especially places like ebay or Amazon market place.Online stores sell them to.