It isn't that it's actually illegal, but you can't sell/lend/rent what the distributor refuses to sell to you, and video stores would have the in demand new rel

It isn't that it's actually illegal, but you can't sell/lend/rent what the distributor refuses to sell to you, and video stores would have the in demand new releases weeks or even months before they'd be sold on the consumer market. They got them because the likes of Blockbuster were willing to pay $70 or $80 in 19800's dollars for that privilege.