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Pirates selling new hit film
PIRATE copies of the summer's biggest movie blockbuster are being freely sold on Blackpool's streets - just days after the film premiered.
DVD pirates were offering copies of Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull at car boot sales at the weekend - after the film opened on Thursday.
But bargain seekers have been warned - your cheap film could put jobs at risk and fund organised crime.
The Indiana Jones film was found for sale at a car boot sale at Norcross and bought by an undercover trading standards officer for just 2.50.
When viewed the standard of the film is poor with shakey camerawork, shadows across the images and poor sound quality.
As part of the same operation, trading standards officers seized around three bags of different pirated DVDs and CDs in total, including other recently released films.
Tim Coglan, head of quality standards at Blackpool Council, said peddling pirate DVDs helped fund organised crime while cinema operators condemned the action as theft.
Mr Coglan said: "Counterfeiting creates unfair and illegal competition that puts the livelihoods and jobs of reputable businessman at risk.
"It is categorically not a victimless crime and there are clear links between counterfeiting and organised crime.
"Obviously people may think they are getting a bargain but these copies are often poor quality and sometimes unwatchable they are so bad.
"We would stress that counterfeiting takes many different forms and Blackpool Trading Standards have, in the past, found ridiculous things such as car parts and medicines on sale in counterfeit form.
"This can put lives at risk.
"This authority has a zero tolerance policy on counterfeiting and will utilise the proceeds of crime act legislation to seize the assets of the individuals involved."
Phil Towers, duty manager at The Odeon Cinema in Rigby Road, Blackpool, backed the work of the trading standards team in combating illegal activity which he said was effectively theft from the cinema industry.
Pirated films are usually copied by people sitting in the audience at the first showings.
Mr Towers warned: "Everything is monitored consistently and we go round to make sure there are no red lights coming from the audience which is a sign there could be illegal recording.
"We can also see from the projection box if there is any suspicious activity. It is theft, as the warning signs say before a film starts, and it does take people away from coming to the cinema.
"But you can't beat watching a film in the cinema, with a huge screen in front of you and sat with other people who also want to see it which creates such a buzz. You can't achieve that by watching a poor quality disc at home.
"We would back the work of trading standards in carrying out these operations because at the end of the day it is theft."
Sergeant Pete Lane, of South Shore Task Force, who also took part in the undercover initiative, said: "We have a multi-agency approach towards combatting this kind of illegal activity.
"Cracking down on this type of offence helps provide a level playing field for honest traders in the town."
A report will be made by trading standards officers following the seizure of the pirated DVDs before a decision about whether or not to prosecute is made.
But anyone caught selling countefeit discs faces a maximum sentence at magistrates court of a 5,000 fine for each offence, or if the case is sent to crown court, the maximum penalty is 10 years in jail and unlimited fines.
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Weather for Blackpool
Sunday 27 May 2012
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Temperature: 13 C to 25 C
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