How can I tell if a CD or DVD is fake?

When buying software online, in an auction, or at a flea market it's important to know if you're purchasing a legitimate copy of the program or game. There are several reasons of why you shouldn't purchase pirated or otherwise illegally made programs. Below are some steps that can be taken to help identify fake CDs and DVDs.
Look at the bottom of the disc

One of the most common and easiest ways is to look at the bottom of the disc. Recordable discs like those shown in the below picture will often have a green, purple, or other color of tint to them unlike the traditional CD and DVD. When CDs and DVDs are made in the factor the data contained on them is actually stamped onto the disc and not burned.

Look at the label

Another easy method of identifying a fake CD from the real thing is to look at the label of the disc. If the disc label is hand written with a marker or looks as if the label was printed off an ink jet printer, it's obviously a fake CD or DVD. Unfortunately many individuals are becoming more sophisticated and are now capable of matching labels that are identical to the real label. This has caused companies such as Microsoft to create more sophisticated and harder to duplicate CDs and DVDs. Below is a picture of one of these discs, which as you can see has a hologram type border. All of the Microsoft discs today have a look similar to this.

In an attempt to duplicate this type of look some people will photo copy this label onto a sticker and use it as a label on the disc. Of course when rotating the disc in your hand it's easy to quickly identify this is not a hologram. Others may actually use a holographic sticker making it look legitimate, however, these too can be quickly identified if you look at the edge of the disc and it appears that holographic sticker can be peeled away from the disc.

Actual examples of pirated software seized by Microsoft can also be seen on their howtotell page.

 What the CD or DVD case looks like:-

If the CD or DVD is in a standard disc jewel box like the one pictured to the right this is also often an easy way of identifying a fake CD and DVD. In some situations when buying a disc second hand the seller can claim that they lost or no longer have the original case, which may be true but treat it as a red flag.

All audio CDs and many software programs and games will also have a glossy insert in the case. Make sure this is also found.