SOUTHALL AND EALING PIRACY RAIDS SUCCESSFUL
08 May 2006: UK record industries' trade association the BPI has welcomed news that the authorities in Ealing have recovered over 100,000 counterfeit DVD’s and CD’s in a concerted crackdown in Southall and Ealing over the weekend (May 5-6 2006).

Ealing Trading Standards and MET Police Southall Broadway Safer Neighbourhood Team conducted the investigation with assistance from BPI.

According to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) over half a million pounds worth of goods (street value) were seized following raids at No. 45, The Broadway, Southall and a commercial premise The Music Junction, No 4, South Road, Southall, Middlesex.

The partnership visited the premises following intelligence and information received from a variety of sources including the community, which indicated that it was involved in the sale and distribution of illegal and counterfeit DVDs and CDs.

64 bags, 14 boxes and a large suitcase containing over 100,000 DVD’s and CD’s were discovered in a storage room at No. 45, The Broadway, Southall with a further 400 DVD’s and CD’s recovered from the Music Junction shop.

Five (5) persons, aged between 16 years and 47 years were arrested on suspicion of infringement of the Trademarks Act 1994.

A 29 year old Asian male has been charged with Eight (8) offences against Trademarks Act 1994. He has been bailed from Police Custody to appear at Ealing Magistrates on 18th May 2006.

The Bollywood music and film piracy market has become massive over the past 5 years, with fakes initially illegally produced and imported from CD and DVD plants in Pakistan.

But a clampdown by Customs and Excise and the Pakistan government in the last year, coupled with the declining cost and increasing quality of DVD burning equipment, means that DVDs - like fake CDs - are now increasingly made in the UK.

CD piracy now generates an estimated £77 million annually for criminal enterprise, increasing by 37% in 2004 alone. At an estimated 70% the level of piracy in Bollywood film and music is far higher than the average UK rate of around 5%.

BPI Director of Anti-Piracy David Martin said: "As we've seen with CD piracy, increasing numbers of organised criminals are moving into the fake DVD trade. Organised gangs increasingly control the distribution of fakes, which are increasingly produced by smaller operators around the UK, rather than imported from overseas.

"Cross-cooperation with both the authorities and other copyright enforcement bodies has never been so vital to address the growing problem of counterfeiting. It is hugely important that trading standards and police keep up their efforts in this field."

Contact the BPI press office on 020 7803 1395 for further information.