Piracy pair ordered to pay back £600,000

 

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By Alun Williams

Posted on 9 Aug 2006 at 11:57

A husband and wife piracy team are paying the price for counterfeiting computer and video games.

The pair have been ordered to pay back more than £600,000 under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) following their original conviction for counterfeiting offences back in 2005.

The couple were investigated by Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council, and found to have benefited from their criminality to the tune of £635,000. An order was made by Liverpool Crown Court that they pay back this amount within six months or serve 30 months and three years imprisonment in default.

They had already previously been convicted for the pirating offences following investigations by the ELSPA (Entertainment & Leisure Software Publishers Association) Anti-Piracy Unit, and sentenced to 21 months and six months respectively.

ELSPA was keen to highlight the success of applying the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA). 'This case demonstrates the enormous penalties faced by those who sell illegally copied computer and video games,' said the director general of ELSPA, Michael Rawlinson. 'Any profit made through this kind of activity can be claimed back under POCA, and shows anyone tempted to become involved that piracy doesn't pay.'