Latest News / Archive

23rd February 2006
Dedicated Film Piracy Unit Launch

Press Conference at New Scotland Yard on 23rd February 2006
L-R: Det Supt. Trevor Shepherd; Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur; Raymond Leinster, FACT Director General

A new police unit dedicated to combating film piracy and the organised criminal networks sustaining the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit film product is launched today by the Met’s Economic and Specialist Crime Command, in partnership with the Federation Against Copyright Theft [FACT].

The Unit will investigate those individuals and organisations accruing sizeable criminal profits and leading affluent lifestyles from illegal activity in the area of film piracy. The Proceeds Of Crime Act 2002 will act as a powerful tool in this respect, providing officers with the necessary powers to take the cash out of this type of crime, and in turn preventing both the funding of further criminal activity and reducing the presence of criminal role models in local communities.

With the assistance of FACT, the UK film and broadcast industry’s anti-piracy organisation, the Unit will collate intelligence on crime trends and criminal activity in the area of film piracy offences.

Initially operating for a period of 12 months, the unit will be the ‘centre of excellence’ for the investigation of film piracy offences and, a source of advice, guidance and support to other police forces in respect of such investigations.

click here for more

27th February 2006

Bristol
Avon and Somerset Police raided a house in Bristol that was being used as a distribution centre for pirate DVDs. 5,000 DVDs, along with thousands of printed inlay cards and polythene packing bags. A 36 year old man, Ming Zheng Lin, was arrested and charged under Section 92 of the Trade Marks Act and Section 107 of the Copyright and Patents Act. He appeared before Bath Magistrates Court this morning for a brief hearing. He was remanded in custody and will next appear at Bristol Crown Court on March 6, 2006.

Two other men, aged in their late 20s, who police also arrested have been released on bail pending further enquiries.

Blackburn
As a result of Hertfordshire Trading Standards receiving a complaint from the purchase of counterfeit copy of Little Britain on eBay and Blackburn Trading Standards who had a similar complaint a house in Blackburn was visited by Blackburn TS and FACT.A male aged 35 and a woman aged 29 were arrested and over 1400 DVDs were seized.

Dundee
Peter Robert Cruickshank, age 35, from Bearsdon and Wilfred Siddle, age 54, from Dundee have just pleaded guilty to copyright offences. Under an ongoing Proceeds of Crime Act investigation, total assets worth £1 million have been frozen (£850 000 and £150 000 respectively)

FACT investigators started the investigation in 2003 and they then passed it onto Police in Galloway. This culminated in a seizure in December 2003 and FACT did the product examination for this case under the Video Recordings Act.

top of page

18th February 2006
Operation Predator preys on Counterfeit DVD Sellers

On Saturday 18th February 2006 at 12.45pm, amazed shoppers witnessed the Metropolitan Police, Trading Standards, Home Office Immigration, the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) and Harrow Council CCTV operators working in partnership to swoop on the numerous street traders that sell counterfeit DVDs in St Anns Road, Harrow.

The operation, named ‘Predator’, was organised in response to complaints received regarding the continual stream of Chinese itinerant traders who persistently target Harrow as an area to sell counterfeit and pornographic DVDs.

In excess of 1,500 counterfeit DVDs, including latest blockbuster hits, were seized which breached registered trade marks of major film companies such as 20th Century Fox, Paramount, New Line Cinema, Warner Bros and Disney.  

The Operation resulted in thirteen traders being arrested for offences under the Trade Marks Act 1994. Twelve of them were held in custody while Detectives and Trading Standards Enforcement Officers conducted interviews throughout the night assisted by interpreters.

Twelve traders, nine male and three female, were charged and appeared before Harrow Magistrates Court on Monday 20th February 2006.

All twelve pleaded guilty. Some of the traders had been prosecuted before for similar offences whilst others had had their goods seized by Trading Standards and were subject to ongoing investigations. These traders admitted similar offences in the past which were also taken into consideration by Magistrates when passing their sentences.

The Magistrates stated that these were serious offences and custodial sentences would be appropriate. However, having heard various mitigating circumstances, most of the traders where given 12 – 15 month conditional discharges and ordered to pay between £40 - £70 costs. Two traders who had previous convictions were given 28 day custodial sentences and a third has been remanded in custody to be sentenced on Wednesday.
 
Bill Bilon, Deputy Director of Trading Standards said, “These street traders are taking trade from legitimate businesses and damaging the economy. The DVDs represent poor value for money as they are often very poor quality as they have been filmed in cinemas with hand held camcorders before being burned onto discs. These street traders are also harming the local economy by taking trade away from bona fide businesses.
 
Our experience shows that a majority of the pirate DVD sellers are Chinese asylum seekers or illegal immigrants who are forced into this trade by their ‘gang masters’ and the profits that are made are used to fund other illegal activity such as people trafficking. I hope that the custodial sentences imposed will act as a deterrent to those who continually plague Harrow town centre selling counterfeit DVDs”

Raymond Leinster, FACT Director General said: “We are pleased that Brent & Harrow Trading Standards and the Harrow Police have taken this action against those involved in DVD piracy on the streets of London. DVD piracy involves organised criminal networks and is often linked to other crimes such as people smuggling, drugs and other serious criminality. It is a real crime, punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment.”

top of page

18th February 2006

Harrow
An operation in Harrow town centre by Brent & Harrow Trading Standards, FACT and the Metropolitan Police on Saturday 18th February resulted in the arrest of 12 Chinese pirate DVD street sellers. All pleaded guilty. One male was sentenced to 14 days imprisonment, another two males to 28 days, and the remainder were given conditional discharges ranging from 12 to 14 months, some with costs.
The operation is part of an ongoing effort by Trading Standards to clamp down on the proliferation of pirate DVD sellers in Harrow town centre.

eBay Trader Sentenced

Mitigating circumstances were said to be that Cole lived on benefits and looked after her four-year-old son.

FACT investigators monitor auction sites such as eBay and other websites and will take action against those who sell pirate DVDs on the sites.

North-West London: Major Pirate DVD Manufacturing And Distribution Facility Raided. Over £500,000 of Counterfeit DVDs Seized.

In February 2006 Kent Police in a joint initiative with FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft) today raided a major pirate DVD manufacturing facility and made three arrests.

The raid in Burnt Oak, North-West London and related activity in Peckham, South-East London were part of Operation Century, which has targeted a crime network involved in the supply of counterfeit film product across London and the South-East.

Over 100,000 illegally copied DVDís were seized, along with computers and over 200 DVD burners capable of manufacturing over 20,000 DVDís per day. Also seized were 7 printers for producing labels and covers as well as thousands of blank DVDís and plastic cases.

The estimated street value of the seized DVDís is in excess of £500,000 and includes current cinema release titles such as Memoirs of a Geisha, The Chronicles of Narnia and Munich.

Three males were arrested and at the time of writing were being remanded in custody.

top of page

Major Scottish DVD Distribution Facility Closed Down

A Police raid on a flat in Glasgow in January 2006 resulted in the closure of the largest DVD distribution facility yet uncovered in Scotland and the seizure of over 25,000 DVDS. FACTís investigator was contacted by Strathclyde Police following the arrest of a man for allegedly selling DVDs illegally on the street. Officers then searched the address given by the man and found it to be a suspected distribution centre used by Chinese nationals.

A FACT investigator was called in and was able to identify a large quantity of the product in the flat as FACT membersí copyright material, including recently released films such as ëNarniaí.

South London

In January 2006 FACT investigators in South London were also involved in the seizure of several thousand DVDs of illegal copies of FACT member material in a raid on a house in Peckham. Four Chinese males were arrested at the scene.