Did you know that:

• Piracy is illegal.
• Piracy is wrong.
• Piracy drives up the price of games for everyone.

The vast majority of transactions on eBay are between legitimate buyers and sellers. Unfortunately, a few bad sellers can spoil the marketplace for everyone. To help make sure you aren't unknowingly part of the problem, we offer you the following Piracy FAQ. For more information on video game piracy and its effects, check out the following Web site: www.idsa.com.

Q:If I own a game, don't I have a legal right to make a backup copy of it?

A:You may have certain rights to make a backup copy for archival purposes. However, backup means backup! You cannot legally sell a backup copy (unless you also sell the original copy to the same person) or transmit it over the Internet.

Q:What if the game company is no longer in business or never released the game?

A:Copyright protection is not determined by commercial availability. Even though a game is not available through retail channels, that does not mean that it has fallen into the public domain. In fact, copyright protection for corporations lasts for up to 75 years.

Q:So is it also illegal to sell hardware add-ons such as mod chips that allow you to play illegal copies of games?

A:Yes.

Q:Is it illegal to play a game that is pirated?

A:Yes.

Q:Why does eBay care? Isn't eBay just a venue?

A:eBay has zero tolerance for the sale of infringing items on the site. We constantly partner with law enforcement and content companies to combat piracy. We provide law enforcement and content companies with all the information we can to help them identify and prosecute purveyors of infringing items.

Q:What should I do if I believe an item I purchased is an unauthorised copy?

A:You should contact the Interactive Digital Software Association (IDSA) directly at www.idsa.com and send an email about your experience to uksafeharbour@ebay.com.

Q:What should I do if I see an item listed on eBay that I think may be infringing?

A:Don't place a bid on it. You should send an email with the item number to ukinfringement@ebay.com. We will work with the content owner to determine if the item is legitimate. If the item is determined to be infringing, eBay will promptly remove the item.

Q:What if I get an email from someone who says they saw my bid for a game, and they offer to sell me pirated games directly?

A:You should not buy the games and forward a copy of the email to the IDSA and to eBay.

Q:Why can't eBay simply remove the item?

A: eBay is a venue for people to trade goods. We cannot and do not monitor or authenticate items listed on the site. However, we have a core corporate commitment to fighting piracy. In fact, we began our industry-leading Verified Rights Owner Programme more than a year ago to assist the content community in the fight against infringing items.