07:02 PM CDT on Friday, May 26, 2006

By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA-TV

WFAA

This seller of bootleg DVDs was hauled off in handcuffs

The Da Vinci Code is the movie many want to own but selling it is illegal.

It's a felony to sell bootleg copies of movies but there are stores all over North Texas doing it.

Movie Studios hire detectives to find these places, like the one inside the Soul Bizarre.

With the help of local police they put them out of business.

The store was already selling copies of The Da Vinci Code.

Dallas police have shut the place down, confiscating nearly $25,000 in bootleg DVDs and some music.

A woman selling the videos was put into handcuffs and hauled off to jail. She was found carrying a weapon in her purse.

"Sometimes they will have that. Most of the time this is not a crime of violence but they deal with cash money so that is why they are concerned about their cash business being robbed," said one officer.

And police say consumers are also being robbed.

"On the copies you will hear everyone getting up asking for a Coke, go to the bathroom, coughing, sneezing, whatever, you can tell it's poor quality," the officer added.

Police say they are finding stores selling bootleg DVDs all over Dallas and have shut down at least three in the last few weeks.

There are other places under surveillance now and police say they plan to shut those down too.