FACT - Man arrested and DVDs seized after call to Crimestoppers

[3rd April 2008]

An anonymous caller to Crimestoppers recently gave information about a group of people who were making and selling counterfeit DVDs.

FACT (The Federation Against Copyright Theft) investigators followed-up the information and, working in collaboration with the police, one man was arrested and thousands of counterfeit DVDs were seized.

Crimestoppers is working in partnership with FACT to tackle film piracy and the wider implications that counterfeiting can have on communities. FACT was established in 1983, in order to protect the UK's film and broadcasting industry against counterfeiting, copyright and trademark infringements. It is the leading representative protecting the interests of the audio-visual industry, in its fight against piracy of DVDs and CDs and online piracy.

Film piracy in the UK generates over £270million a year for criminals. Those involved in counterfeiting can often also be involved in benefit fraud, people smuggling, drugs and other serious criminality, which impacts whole communities. Film piracy is punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment.

Our partnership is enabling FACT to acquire additional information in its fight against piracy, through targeted campaigns and encouraging the public to call Crimestoppers if they have any information about piracy-related crime.