FACT highlights ASBO for pirate DVD trader

According to the Federation Against Copyright Theft, a market trader from North Wales has become the first person in Britain to be given an anti-social behaviour order after he was caught selling pirate DVDs and CDs.
A joint operation between Conwy Trading Standards Service and North Wales police uncovered more than over 1,000 film DVDs, along with 162 music CDs and 14 games CDs.
Carl Langton, of Pensarn, Abergele, was arrested in April this year along with Paul Simon Roberts and Anthony John Blake, at Tir Prince market in Conwy. All three defendants later pleaded guilty to charges under the Trade Marks Act 1994.
FACT Director General Raymond Leinster said: “While FACT exists primarily to protect the film industry from intellectual property theft and to make sure the courts receive the necessary evidence to prosecute DVD pirates, we also need to make the public aware that this seemingly mild criminal activity affects their communities, and that by buying pirated DVDs they are supporting illegal activity.”
Peter Davies, Senior Enforcement Officer at Conwy Trading Standards, commented: “Trading Standards are determined to act decisively against illegal traders in Tir Prince market. These arrests and the subsequent sentencing indicate how seriously we take the selling of counterfeit goods in our markets.
“The application of the ASBO – the first ever in association with Intellectual Property theft – to one of the accused will greatly support our continuing efforts to prevent a recurrence of this crime in our markets.”
Langton was also ordered to end his involvement in producing or distributing counterfeit material and was given 12-month supervision order. Blake received a 200 hours community service order and Roberts a 12-month supervision order with specific requirements.
Langton’s ASBO also forbids entry to a specific area and forbids engaging in behaviour or allowing or causing others to engage in behaviour that causes, or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to anyone not living in the same household as the defendant in relation to counterfeit goods.
Last year, 2,913,459 pirate DVDs were seized, bringing the total for 2004 close to the 3 million mark.
This year’s figures show a 41% increase in seizures for the first quarter versus the same period in 2004.
Anyone who is aware of pirate DVD activity can report it anonymously by calling the FACT hotline on 0845 60 34567.
FACT, www.fact-uk.org.uk
(SP/GB)