On Friday 28th May officers from Dorset County Council Trading Standards Service & Dorset Police, acting on intelligence from the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), seized thousands of counterfeit DVDs, dedicated DVD copying machines, computers & packaging and postage materials from a terraced house in Christchurch, Dorset. A 55 year old male who was present at the address concerned will be interviewed further in relation to potential offences of supplying counterfeit film DVDs & music CDs for sale via the internet.

The alleged offences being investigated by trading standards officers are under the Trade Marks Act 1994 and the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Ivan Hancock, Divisional Trading Standards Manager with Dorset County Council said, “The Trading Standards Service in Dorset has a strong commitment to tackling illegal copying and the distribution of goods like these by rogue traders. With the ever increasing use of Internet sites to distribute counterfeit goods and illegal copies, residential areas in Dorset can be home to counterfeiters and we will continue to take enforcement action against those flouting the laws that undermine legitimate businesses.”

Kieron Sharp, FACT Director General, said, “FACT works closely with trading standards and police across the UK, with an increasing emphasis on targeting those using the internet to distribute and sell counterfeit copies of films and TV programmes. This type of criminal activity might seem attractive to opportunists and career criminals alike but it can be detected and the people involved brought to justice.”