US laptop searches?

[flo]

hi!

i am about to fly to the US and i kinda overheard something that the US customs dpt is allowed to take a look at the stuff you've got on your notebook. actually, i am a bit concerned because i got all my music legally, according to austrian right, where it's basically just illegal to upload stuff (which i never did), but maybe not legally in terms of US rights.

what should i fear? should i delete my mp3s and tv shows before entering the us? has anybody here actually been notebook-searched?

i'd be really grateful if anybody could share some insight concerning this topic.

thanks very much
flo

[9V-JKL]

Since you've been a good boy, I think there's nothing to really worry about.

[flo]

well... according to ... well, not austrian law, i might not have been a good boy. i download my music and tv shows off the internet without paying for it from a download portal where i do not have to upload... so when entering the US, they might see it differently as piracy is taken rather seriously and i did not obtain my data through an original reseller or so. this is why i wonder

[Lobster]

Yes they do have the right to search your laptop but it is very unlikely that they will.

However how sensible do you think it is crossing any international border with something illegal on you. Personally I had any downloads from the internet which might be of questionable legality I would keep them on a separate external hard drive so when I travel I could leave them at home. On my laptop I would only have music and videos I owned.

[taipeiflyer]

they are not looking for illegal music Flo... you have nothing to worry about. first off, very rarely does it happen. second, when they do check, it is usually because of a country that you have visited that they are suspicious of (i.e., cambodia, indonesia, etc.), because they are countries where sex acts against minors are more prevalent.

[jhm]

I agree with the above and anyway, how on earth can anyone prove that a MP3 on your hard disk isn't something you (legally) ripped from a CD which you own (and is lying at home) ?

[HUGE AL]

Well, his entry point IS LAX, where the Gestapo reside...

[B727]

A laptop search is warranted when the passenger in question is under some watch list like the ones for terrorists or sex offenders.

Other than that, it is very unlikely. The prosecutions for copyrighted media downloads in the US have largely been for people who use P2P platforms and have downloaded an insane amount of music.

[LampStack]

However, there are a number of "random" searches that may affect people that do not fall into either of those categories.

[Nick C]

Never had a problem when I was there in Jan/Feb. Maybe it's because it's a Mac

[HUGE AL]

Maybe it's because it's a Mac

[up and away]

i download my music and tv shows off the internet without paying for it from a download

Well you just left your CDs at home...
I mean, it's not like they'll ask you to produce all the original copies! It's another story with videos though: *private* copies are relatively obvious...

[Gunnar Smithsen]

This kind of laptop search isn't just restricted to just the USCBP, I know the Australian Customs Service have been known to conduct similar searches - actually watch enough episodes of "Border Security" and you'll see what I mean...

At the end of the day flo unless you have objectionnable material on your laptop you'll be free and clear, and again it would come down to where you're arriving from too..

[flo]

I have like a ton of TV shows on my pc ... like OC California, some Heroes and stuff and I bet that this might not be all to appreciated. I just don't want to get into any sort of trouble or so ... and being okay in my country doesn't mean it's okay in another

[HUGE AL]

I have like a ton of TV shows on my pc ... like OC California, some Heroes and stuff and I bet that this might not be all to appreciated. I just don't want to get into any sort of trouble or so ... and being okay in my country doesn't mean it's okay in another

Then just pick up a removable HD in TPE and have peace of mind. Or, you could hide the folder(s).