Ten music pirates from Teesside have been sentenced for their role in running a pirated music and film racket. The ten were found guilty of conspiracy to defraud the music and film industries as the result of a private prosecution brought by the UK record companies. Five received jail sentences, three community service orders and two were fined.
The group, headed by Mark Bailey and Paul Canning, ran a sophisticated operation selling pirated music and film not only via a network of market stalls but also via a Britannia style membership club and through a mail-order set up. It is reckoned that at its peak the operation was bringing in £11,000 a week.
In delivering the sentences, Judge Moorhouse told the court: "The whole purpose of copyright law is to ensure that those who create music and films have the exclusive right to benefit from their creativity. It is the duty of the court to send a warning to everyone that if you behave in this way you risk losing your liberty."
Commenting on the court decision, BPI Director of Anti-Piracy Dave Martin told CMU: "This is one of the most significant cases yet seen in the UK. These people ripped off artists, record companies and the public to the tune of £1.2m. These were sophisticated criminals using the techniques of legitimate business to ply their illegal trade. But it's very easy to make a profit on a £3 CD when you invest a grand total of nothing in the creative process. Music piracy is a problem all over the UK, but it's particularly bad in the North East. We are pleased that on this occasion that we have been able to bring such a high-profile gang to justice. "