Suffolk DVD counterfeiter receives suspended prison sentence
He made thousands of pounds from pirate DVDs of films and TV shows
A Suffolk man who made thousands of pounds from pirate DVDs of films and TV shows won't be going to prison.
John Williams, from Great Conard, has instead received a 16 month term, suspended for two years, plus a fine of £7,500 after pleading guilty to two offences related to the sale, supply and manufacture of counterfeit DVDs.
72 year old Williams, of Pot Kiln Road, was also ordered by Ipswich Crown Court to pay a Proceeds of Crime Order of £77,182, as the criminal benefit he made from the sales of counterfeit discs, plus pay prosecution costs of £42,870.
Suffolk Trading Standards began investigating after receiving a report of fake cult and classic DVDs being sold online.
Test purchases were carried out and the discs analysed, which confirmed them to be counterfeit.
"When we find evidence of criminal activity we will always act"
Titles examined included Wonder Woman 1984, Shazam, X Men Apocalypse and TV programmes The Strange World of Gurney Slade and Dial 999.
More than 40,000 copied DVDs were seized from his home in October 2021 along with computers, disc burners, a colour photocopier with print outs of DVD box paper insert sleeves, and address label stickers.
Analysis of the seized computers found Williams had sold fake DVDs when attending film and TV fairs, mainly in London, making up to £1,500 per fair, and that he had a wide network of customers in the UK and abroad.
Williams pleaded guilty to one offence under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998 and one under the Trademark Act 1994.
Graham Crisp, Head of Suffolk Trading Standards, said: “We found correspondence from Williams where he said that trading standards were only concerned with large-scale counterfeiters connected to organised crime and did not have the resources or time to come after people like him – he was wrong. When we find evidence of criminal activity we will always act.”
Councillor Andrew Reid, Suffolk County Council Cabinet Member for Public Health, Public Protection, & Communities, said:
“There is no such thing as a victimless crime and the greedy and selfish activities of this man contributed to the end of a company legitimately making cult films and TV shows available to the public.
“I applaud Suffolk Trading Standards for its hard work in bringing this totally unacceptable operation to a close.”