German teachers' use of DVDs, purchased abroad, has become increasingly difficult through restrictions imposed by the motion pictures industry on DVDs, DVD-playing equipment and software. In addition, the law, in particular through the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), has imposed restrictions that negatively affect the fair use of digital media, including DVDs, for education purposes. This article attempts to explain these restrictions, and presents tools that are available to overcome them, in particular, those that make it possible to play and back-up German/European DVDs in DVD players and computers purchased in the US.