James Delahunty
4 Aug 2005 20:26
Last August, a married couple were arrested for music, film and game piracy in Operation Zouk, a nationwide scheme headed by the Department for Work and Pensions. Today, they were finally handed jail terms of between 6 months and 21 months at Liverpool Crown Court. They were convicted of copyright offences and benefit fraud. When their home in Formby was raided, £28,000 worth of pirated discs were discovered. During the entire operation nationwide, 57 arrests were made and £500,000 worth of counterfeit discs was seized.
"Not only are consumers short-changed when they buy poor quality fake goods but legitimate retailers also lose out on business," said Andrew Naisbitt, head of Trading Standards for Sefton Council. Andrew King was sentenced to 18 months but also faces an addition term for an earlier intellectual property theft conviction for which he received a conditional discharge. Angela King, his wife, received a six month sentence for her part in the operation.
The games industry trade body, Elspa, accuses the couple of selling pirated games, music and film discs while also claiming benefits. "These offenders were not only riding on the back of the creative industries but also lining their pockets with taxpayers' money," said Elspa's deputy director general Michael Rawlinson. The affect of the case has also led to the couple separating.
Source:
BBC News