The BPI yesterday welcomed the sentences handed down to the ringleaders of a counterfeiting operation in the North West which generated in excess of £40,000 over six months by selling bootlegged CDs, DVDs and video games via markets and car boot sales. Eight defendants pleaded guilty to running the operation, as well as admitting various benefit fraud charges. Ringleaders Barry Powell and Mark Quincey were imprisoned for 12 and 15 months respectively for their roles, while another of the defendants, Sarah Haynes, got nine months.
Announcing the sentences, the judge hearing the case said: "I want to send a deterrence message to any people who may think counterfeiting is an easy way to make a lot of money".
Welcoming the ruling, BPI boss Geoff Taylor told CMU: "Music fans should not be taken in. Buying illegally copied CDs from these stalls not only cheats artists and the record labels that invest in them; it also helps to fund other criminality. These defendants were caught as part of a wider investigation into music piracy and benefit fraud in the North West, and although their operation was well organised they were by no means the biggest players in the region. This result shows that the courts will not hesitate to hand down strong sentences to deter this area of crime. Excellent work by our enforcement units, the Department Of Work & Pensions and police has ensured that these individuals face a significant term in prison, consistent with the seriousness of their offences".