WEST COAST COUNTERFEITER JAILED
Tuesday 14 February 2006/... A counterfeiter from Workington was sentenced to 21 months' imprisonment at Carlisle Crown Court on 10th February for his part in a large scale counterfeiting operation.
Paul Lee (39) of Corporation Road, Workington was sentenced by his Honour Judge Batty. At an earlier hearing on 19th December 2005, he pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to breach Trade Mark, copyright and video recording act offences during the period from 9th April 2001 to 10 June 2004.
Assisted by ELSPA, FACT and Cumbria Police, Trading Standards officers executed an entry warrant on Lee's home on 9th June 2004. Officers seized a substantial amount of equipment, including six PCs and over 7000 discs containing games, music and films as well as a quantity of unclassified pornographic titles. The copying equipment was capable of copying 19 discs simultaneously giving an effective output of one hundred discs per hour.
Lee was part of a loose network of dealers in counterfeit goods who stayed in regular contact by email and would update each other whenever new counterfeit titles became available. One of his regular contacts was Anthony Briscoe of Lorton Avenue, Wigton who was sentenced to 150 hours' community punishment order on 13th October 2005 for counterfeiting offences. Briscoe, who was employed at BNFL at Sellafield, would then circulate the list among his fellow employees using the company's internal email system. His colleagues would place orders with him which would then be fulfilled by Lee.
Michael Rawlinson, deputy director general of ELSPA, commented: "This operation was not a so-called back bedroom scam, but a major manufacturing facility. Its potential output was staggering. Lee's sentence will act as a deterrent to anyone tempted to become involved in the illegal copying of computer and video games software and highlights the very real threat of criminal prosecution and a criminal record. "
Phil Ashcroft, Head of Cumbria County Council's Trading Standards Department who brought the prosecution, said: "This is the biggest investigation into counterfeits that we have carried out. The sentence imposed by the judge, together with the threat of further financial penalties from the Assets Recovery Agency investigation, should serve as a warning to counterfeiters everywhere. I am particularly grateful to BNFL. Information provided by them has resulted in three significant counterfeiters being brought to justice."
EDITORS NOTES
1. The prosecution was brought by Cumbria County Council's Trading
Standards Department.
2. Peter Rumney of Corporation Road, Workington, pleaded guilty to
counterfeiting at Carlisle Crown Court and on 13 October 2005 was sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment, suspended for two years. Anthony Briscoe pleaded guilty to counterfeiting at Carlisle Crown Court and on 13 October
2005 was sentenced to 150 hours' community punishment order. Paul Lee was charged with conspiring with Briscoe, Rumney and others to breach The Trade Marks Act 1994, the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 and the Video Recordings Act.
3. The Assets Recovery Agency is carrying out an investigation to
establish the amount of money obtained by Lee as a result of his criminality. This Proceeds of Crime matter will come before Carlisle Crown Court in June 2006.
About ELSPA - 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.
About Software Piracy and its negative impact on both consumers and industry ELSPA estimates criminal gain through computer and video games piracy sits at approximately £540 million.
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.
For further information on ELSPA or to arrange interviews, please contact:
EMMA COWIE/ DEBORAH COSTER
BARRINGTON HARVEY
Tel: 01462 456780
Fax: 01462 456781
Email: emma.cowie@bhpr.co.uk/ debi.coster@bhpr.co.uk Issued by: Barrington Harvey, Trooper's Yard, Bancroft, Hitchin SG5 1JW