Government allocates £5 million to fight copyright infringement

By Simon Aughton

Posted on 13 Feb 2007 at 07:25

The UK Government has allocated £5 million to fund Trading Standards' investigations into copyright infringement.

Following a recommendation by the Gowers Review into intellectual property, the Department of Trade and Industry granted new powers to Trading Standards Officers under Section 107A of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, giving those officers the authority from 6 April to make test purchases and to enter premises and seize goods and documents.

Officers will be permitted to raid markets and boot sales and seize counterfeit CDs and DVDs.

Trade and Industry Minister Malcolm Wicks told the Intellectual Property (IP) Crime Group in London that the additional powers and funding will result in more intelligence, more prosecutions and more criminals locked up.

'IP criminals should know that the UK is not a safe place,' he said. 'Their risk of 10 years' imprisonment and unlimited fines is very real and from this date forward a markedly higher risk.'

Wicks said that UK creative industries lose £9 billion a year from copyright infringement and that the Treasury loses £300 million a year in tax revenues.

Ron Gainsford, chief executive of the Trading Standards Institute, welcomed the Government's initiative.

'Crimelords currently earn fortunes peddling fake goods, bootleg CDs and DVDs through car boot sales and other outlets,' he said. 'People might think they are getting a bargain and turn a blind eye to what is really happening but they should realise that the proceeds from the sale of these goods are used to finance a whole range of criminal activities.'

Steve Lynch of Essex Trading Standards said that it is suspected that all international crime organisations are now involved in counterfeiting and use this as a way to launder money and fund a wide range of criminal activities.

'Trading Standards Officers have long believed that these additional powers will provide an important new weapon in our fight against organised criminals on counterfeit and pirate goods,' Lynch said. 'I am delighted that we'll be able to tackle these criminals and protect the consumer in areas which we had not previously been able to target.'