Pirated DVDs seized at mall
05-May-2005, 12:44 PM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: In my Car
Posts: 52
Pirated DVDs seized at mall
Check this out good read!
RCMP officers investigating Markham's Pacific Mall have seized more than $800,000 worth of goods, including more than 30,000 DVDs, 3,000 video games and 1,600 multi-game cartridges, suspected of being bootlegged.
The Link
RCMP officers investigating Markham's Pacific Mall have seized more than $800,000 worth of goods, including more than 30,000 DVDs, 3,000 video games and 1,600 multi-game cartridges, suspected of being bootlegged.
The Link
05-May-2005, 12:47 PM
#3
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: In my Car
Posts: 52
Here is the whole story:
RCMP officers investigating Markham's Pacific Mall have seized more than $800,000 worth of goods, including more than 30,000 DVDs, 3,000 video games and 1,600 multi-game cartridges, suspected of being bootlegged.
The seizure comes days after the United States put Canada on a watch list of countries thought to be doing a poor job of enforcing intellectual-property rights.
"We had received a considerable amount of complaints from rights holders that the products in the mall are counterfeit," said RCMP Const. Judy Laurence. "We searched four stores that we had previous dealings with."
The search was carried out under warrant April 27. Charges are expected but haven't been laid so far. One difficulty with charging companies under copyright law, Laurence explained, is that ignorance about the law can protect them.
"In order to lay charges under the Copyright Act, companies have to know what they're doing is wrong," she said.
Laurence said the RCMP spent time at the mall educating managers and staff that it was illegal to sell counterfeit goods. Mall property manager Henry Fu declined requests for an interview.
A visit to the mall yesterday in search of cheap knock-offs found slim pickings. Video CDs of movies like Spider-Man 2 and The Incredibles were easily found for less than $15. John Sweeney, investigator with the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association, explained that VCD players are still widely used in Asia, though they offer lower-quality viewing than DVDs. VCDs fall into a "grey area" in the law; they're legitimate copies of movies but licensed for sale only in Asia.
Before last week's raid, Sweeney said, illegal copies of movie DVDs, often made in Malaysia or China, were easily available in Pacific Mall after 4 p.m. and during the weekend.
"(Storeowners) were trying to escape the notice of the RCMP."
While video games were scarce, yesterday's shoppers could find some bargain music. Openly displayed DVDs by Sonic Youth, Justin Timberlake and the Andrew Lloyd Webber Cats soundtrack were on sale at $4 each, in flimsy plastic and cardboard packaging instead of the standard jewel case.
"I guarantee if they cost $4 they are fake," said Graham Henderson, president of the Canadian Recording Industry Association. He worries that any penalties to stores won't be enough of a deterrent.
"They'll be slapped with a $3,000, $5,000 or $10,000 fine, and they'll look at it as a cost of doing business and do it again."
Intellectual-property lawyer John Cotter said the maximum penalty is a $1 million fine and five years in prison.
Canada has had "a problem with enforcement of trade intellectual-property rights" and been criticized for it, Cotter said. Being put on the U.S. watch list next to many developing countries is a signal that Canada needs to step up its efforts.
RCMP officers investigating Markham's Pacific Mall have seized more than $800,000 worth of goods, including more than 30,000 DVDs, 3,000 video games and 1,600 multi-game cartridges, suspected of being bootlegged.
The seizure comes days after the United States put Canada on a watch list of countries thought to be doing a poor job of enforcing intellectual-property rights.
"We had received a considerable amount of complaints from rights holders that the products in the mall are counterfeit," said RCMP Const. Judy Laurence. "We searched four stores that we had previous dealings with."
The search was carried out under warrant April 27. Charges are expected but haven't been laid so far. One difficulty with charging companies under copyright law, Laurence explained, is that ignorance about the law can protect them.
"In order to lay charges under the Copyright Act, companies have to know what they're doing is wrong," she said.
Laurence said the RCMP spent time at the mall educating managers and staff that it was illegal to sell counterfeit goods. Mall property manager Henry Fu declined requests for an interview.
A visit to the mall yesterday in search of cheap knock-offs found slim pickings. Video CDs of movies like Spider-Man 2 and The Incredibles were easily found for less than $15. John Sweeney, investigator with the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association, explained that VCD players are still widely used in Asia, though they offer lower-quality viewing than DVDs. VCDs fall into a "grey area" in the law; they're legitimate copies of movies but licensed for sale only in Asia.
Before last week's raid, Sweeney said, illegal copies of movie DVDs, often made in Malaysia or China, were easily available in Pacific Mall after 4 p.m. and during the weekend.
"(Storeowners) were trying to escape the notice of the RCMP."
While video games were scarce, yesterday's shoppers could find some bargain music. Openly displayed DVDs by Sonic Youth, Justin Timberlake and the Andrew Lloyd Webber Cats soundtrack were on sale at $4 each, in flimsy plastic and cardboard packaging instead of the standard jewel case.
"I guarantee if they cost $4 they are fake," said Graham Henderson, president of the Canadian Recording Industry Association. He worries that any penalties to stores won't be enough of a deterrent.
"They'll be slapped with a $3,000, $5,000 or $10,000 fine, and they'll look at it as a cost of doing business and do it again."
Intellectual-property lawyer John Cotter said the maximum penalty is a $1 million fine and five years in prison.
Canada has had "a problem with enforcement of trade intellectual-property rights" and been criticized for it, Cotter said. Being put on the U.S. watch list next to many developing countries is a signal that Canada needs to step up its efforts.
05-May-2005, 01:06 PM
#4
Registered User
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Posts: 3,474
Originally posted by B16B
Here is the whole story:
While video games were scarce, yesterday's shoppers could find some bargain music. Openly displayed DVDs by Sonic Youth, Justin Timberlake and the Andrew Lloyd Webber Cats soundtrack were on sale at $4 each, in flimsy plastic and cardboard packaging instead of the standard jewel case.
Here is the whole story:
While video games were scarce, yesterday's shoppers could find some bargain music. Openly displayed DVDs by Sonic Youth, Justin Timberlake and the Andrew Lloyd Webber Cats soundtrack were on sale at $4 each, in flimsy plastic and cardboard packaging instead of the standard jewel case.
05-May-2005, 01:25 PM
#5
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: scarborough
Posts: 6,394
well, why did it have to be the RCMP?
Are the local police on the payroll? or do they enjoy purchasing pirated media themselves?
I think jailing intellectual property 'pirates' is stupid.. they pose no threat to society.
i think taxing them for 15% of their earnings for the next 10 years or so, would be more appropriate.
Let the takers be the givers.
""In order to lay charges under the Copyright Act, companies have to know what they're doing is wrong," she said."
This is a ridiculous statement. Whatever happened to ignorance of the law never being an excuse?
Are the local police on the payroll? or do they enjoy purchasing pirated media themselves?
I think jailing intellectual property 'pirates' is stupid.. they pose no threat to society.
i think taxing them for 15% of their earnings for the next 10 years or so, would be more appropriate.
Let the takers be the givers.
""In order to lay charges under the Copyright Act, companies have to know what they're doing is wrong," she said."
This is a ridiculous statement. Whatever happened to ignorance of the law never being an excuse?
05-May-2005, 02:44 PM
#8
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Mississauga
Posts: 1,731
Originally posted by Bruce Fee
"In order to lay charges under the Copyright Act, companies have to know what they're doing is wrong," she said."
"In order to lay charges under the Copyright Act, companies have to know what they're doing is wrong," she said."
the judge through her case out b/c he could not find evidence that what she was doing she willingly knew it was wrong
The judicial system is horrible....the laws are so ambiguous and ppl complain how they don't get the justice they deserve....
05-May-2005, 03:13 PM
#9
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: scarborough
Posts: 6,394
If I'm unaware about legal issues with killing child molestors, think the court will throw out the case?
some guy i know in jail allegedly stabbed a rapist cause the guards treated them nicer then him and his crew. hahaha.
some guy i know in jail allegedly stabbed a rapist cause the guards treated them nicer then him and his crew. hahaha.
05-May-2005, 04:52 PM
#11
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Guelph, Ontario
Posts: 295
Originally posted by Bruce Fee
well, why did it have to be the RCMP?
Copyright and IP law is federal jurisdiction, not provincial.
I think jailing intellectual property 'pirates' is stupid.. they pose no threat to society.
... except by profiting off the work and property of others. It's why corporate espionage is illegal, but just looking at people outside your window is not. Also, it's why downloading music for personal consumption is still legal in Canada.. if you profited off the sale or redistribution of that music (like those store owners), you'd be acting criminally.
""In order to lay charges under the Copyright Act, companies have to know what they're doing is wrong," she said."
This is a ridiculous statement. Whatever happened to ignorance of the law never being an excuse?
Exactlly, which is why there's pressure for the law to change.
There's a second side to this story: the copyright holder has to bring the case forward and prove the fact that those guys at Pac Mall cost them lots of money in stolen property. The Police collect evidence basically, just build the case. Unless the CIRA lawyers want to take each of the shop owners to court, there won't be much outside of a $3000 fine.
well, why did it have to be the RCMP?
Copyright and IP law is federal jurisdiction, not provincial.
I think jailing intellectual property 'pirates' is stupid.. they pose no threat to society.
... except by profiting off the work and property of others. It's why corporate espionage is illegal, but just looking at people outside your window is not. Also, it's why downloading music for personal consumption is still legal in Canada.. if you profited off the sale or redistribution of that music (like those store owners), you'd be acting criminally.
""In order to lay charges under the Copyright Act, companies have to know what they're doing is wrong," she said."
This is a ridiculous statement. Whatever happened to ignorance of the law never being an excuse?
Exactlly, which is why there's pressure for the law to change.
There's a second side to this story: the copyright holder has to bring the case forward and prove the fact that those guys at Pac Mall cost them lots of money in stolen property. The Police collect evidence basically, just build the case. Unless the CIRA lawyers want to take each of the shop owners to court, there won't be much outside of a $3000 fine.
05-May-2005, 05:03 PM
#12
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: scarborough
Posts: 6,394
dropgear, selling illegal goods is illegal. Police should be putting a stop to it no matter what?
Jailing corporate espionage should not be a jail involving offense either.. provided there was no physical breaking and entering...
Why not keep raiding the shop for $3000/week?
let the cost of business become a regular tax for the government for pirates.
I support information piracy 100% but not when it's done for profit.
Jailing corporate espionage should not be a jail involving offense either.. provided there was no physical breaking and entering...
Why not keep raiding the shop for $3000/week?
let the cost of business become a regular tax for the government for pirates.
I support information piracy 100% but not when it's done for profit.
05-May-2005, 06:30 PM
#13
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Posts: 3,301
Im glad it happend.. most of the workers at pmall are racist and when they get caught just play the race card.. say they were ignorant and did not know what they are doing is illegal.. and then just get stuff taken away but not closed..
oh well.. I just have no heart for the people at pmall who get caught and get stuff taken away..
oh well.. I just have no heart for the people at pmall who get caught and get stuff taken away..
06-May-2005, 12:01 AM
#14
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Mississauga
Posts: 1,731
Originally posted by climax
Im glad it happend.. most of the workers at pmall are racist and when they get caught just play the race card.. say they were ignorant and did not know what they are doing is illegal.. and then just get stuff taken away but not closed..
oh well.. I just have no heart for the people at pmall who get caught and get stuff taken away..
Im glad it happend.. most of the workers at pmall are racist and when they get caught just play the race card.. say they were ignorant and did not know what they are doing is illegal.. and then just get stuff taken away but not closed..
oh well.. I just have no heart for the people at pmall who get caught and get stuff taken away..
well said...
and flea markets and ****....ppl running booths there with burnt games....programming satellite cards...etc...
i mean all this is in plain view of the public...and everyone knows it is illegal...but seldom is anything done...and the PAC MALL example is going to set a good precedent for those to follow
06-May-2005, 12:23 AM
#15
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Mississauga
Posts: 3,193
I'm seriously surprised that they're been able to operate this long, I don't think I've bought anything there, considering I can download the game/movie, burn it myself and save the 10 dollars lol.
06-May-2005, 09:12 AM
#19
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Guelph, Ontario
Posts: 295
reports as of yesterday evening say that everything is back to normal, up and running again.
Bruce: I agree 100%.. i think we were both saying the same thing.. bastards who make money off other pepoles work are just that, stupid bastards. and playing the race card is .... whatever, not gonna touch that one with a 10 foot pole.
Bruce: I agree 100%.. i think we were both saying the same thing.. bastards who make money off other pepoles work are just that, stupid bastards. and playing the race card is .... whatever, not gonna touch that one with a 10 foot pole.
06-May-2005, 10:10 AM
#20
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: scarborough
Posts: 6,394
dropgear, think of laws and gov't about making money.
just like other criminal organizations, the government enforcers wears their colours in their jurisdiction, and go about things as is best for themselves.
Some bribes here and there... few complaints... nothing happens... some people get mad.. maybe make more donations.. something happens.
the race card is bull****. my stance would be "sure, i'm racist. you're still going to jail."
just like other criminal organizations, the government enforcers wears their colours in their jurisdiction, and go about things as is best for themselves.
Some bribes here and there... few complaints... nothing happens... some people get mad.. maybe make more donations.. something happens.
the race card is bull****. my stance would be "sure, i'm racist. you're still going to jail."
