NOTTINGHAMSHIRE OFFICER NAMED ANTI-PIRACY INVESTIGATOR OF THE YEAR
ELSPA Award for Individual Excellence given to top Trading Standards officer
Monday 31 July 2006/... ELSPA (Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association) has crowned top officer Michael Bowie of Nottinghamshire Trading Standards Department as anti-piracy investigator of the year.
John Hillier, Anti-Piracy Unit (APU) manager of ELSPA presented Michael Bowie with the Award for Individual Excellence, designed in 2003 to recognise outstanding work in the area of anti-piracy, in a special ceremony on Monday 24th July in the Civic Office at County Hall, Nottingham.
Bowie is Nottinghamshire County Council's longest serving Trading Standards officer, having worked for the department for an impressive 38 years after joining the service directly from school. He was presented with the award in recognition of his outstanding work in combating computer and video games piracy.
Bowie and the rest of the anti-counterfeiting team seized 8,000 computer games last year alone. A total of 21,000 items were seized last year, including computer games, clothing, DVDs, shoes, watches, razor blades, soap powder, bracelets, glassware and handbags.
Michael Rawlinson, managing director of ELSPA, said: "This award is given to those who have shown outstanding dedication to their profession. We welcome the opportunity to recognise a true professional who has shown by his sheer hard work and innovation that this award is truly deserved."
Michael Bowie said: "I am delighted to receive this award but I couldn't have done so without the hard work of all the team. Over the past few years we've made great strides in combating pirate games and other counterfeit goods and ensured that those who sell them are caught and punished. I hope that any pirates in Nottinghamshire will heed this warning and think twice before attempting to sell their dodgy goods."
Anyone with any information on computer games piracy should contact the police, their local Trading Standards Office or call the ELSPA anti piracy unit hotline on 08705 133405.
EDITORS NOTES
About Software Piracy and its negative impact on both consumers and industry:
Piracy/counterfeiting is illegal and punishable by fines and jail sentences. The illegal copying of software poses the very real threat of criminal prosecution and a criminal record, as well as the risk of massive personal financial loss under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Consumers have no recourse under law for faulty pirated games, which can damage hardware. Counterfeited/pirated games are often mixed with obscene or pornographic material. Local and national jobs are lost as result of pirate operations. Proven links exist between many organised counterfeiting organisations and dealers in drugs and pornography.About ELSPA - http://www.elspa.com <http://www.elspa.com/> ELSPA (The Entertainment & Leisure Software Publishers Association) was founded in 1989 to establish a specific and collective identity for the computer and video games industry. Membership includes almost all companies concerned with the publishing and distribution of interactive leisure software in the UK.