James Delahunty
23 Oct 2004 17:18
At a hearing yesterday, Peterborough magistrates told 34-year-old, David Brady they had considered sending him to prison for the crimes. Trading Standards officers and police swooped on Brady's home in last September, after getting a tip-off about his actions. More than 570 counterfeit CDs and 133 DVDs were found at his home. Also found was a range of carrying cases, a price list, and order forms listing 3,000 CD titles.
Brady was ordered to pay £250 court costs and forfeit his computer equipment and blank CDs and DVDs to police and was told he must work 100 hours to benefit the community. It is estimated that his actions may have cost the entertainment industry up to £53,000. Brady told the court that his actions were to help him with his hobby of collecting music. The court heard that it would have cost him about 80p to make an illegal copy of CD, which could be sold on for as much as £16. Head of investigations and inquiries at Cambridgeshire Trading Standards, Leon Livermore said, "The amount seized would have been a very profitable hobby for him. The illegal counterfeiting of DVDs and CDs has strong links with organized crime and terrorism as well as having a major detrimental effect on the entertainment industry."
The decision was praised by Cambridgeshire County Council Trading Standards officers, who took the case to court. Livermore also added, "Cambridgeshire Trading Standards is sending out a warning – whether you are selling counterfeit goods to friends or as a business – we will find out and we will prosecute."
Source:
Peterborough Today