Three traders were this week jailed for their role in running an operation that imported pirated CDs (mainly unofficial urban music mix CDs) from the Czech Republic for sale in shops and market stalls in the UK. One Farhat Nissa got four years - one of the lengthiest ever handed down for bootlegging crimes - while co-defendents Wasim Mir and Naveed Shaikh got two years and six months, and one year respectively.
Welcoming the sentences, BPI Director Of Anti-Piracy David Wood told CMU: "This type of fake CD can fetch significant sums, and it's wrong that none of those involved in creating the music received a penny for their work. These sentences confirm that the UK authorities take a dim view of those who line their pockets at the expense of a creative community whose work should be respected and paid for".