Oldham Council has successfully prosecuted a Coppice shopkeeper for selling counterfeit DVDs.
Basharat Ali of St Thomas Street North, was ordered to undertake 100 hours unpaid work and pay £2,324 in costs at a hearing at Oldham Magistrates Court on July 27.
The 54-year-old pleaded guilty to possessing 1,200 counterfeit DVD’s for sale at his shop at 165 Waterloo Street, Glodwick Precinct.
Trading Standards Officers and a trade expert on Asian films visited Mr Ali’s shop in June 2009, the court heard.
They found numerous DVD’s that were counterfeit copies. They seized 1,200 films in total, comprising a mix of Asian films and popular Western titles, including Harry Potter and American Gangster.
A Trading Standards officer had earlier made a test purchase from the shop. When the film was examined by an Asian films expert it was confirmed to be a counterfeit copy.
Councillor Rod Blyth, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Public Protection, said: “I hope cases like this will deter others who wrongly believe they can defraud the public by selling counterfeit goods.”
"These items are often of poor quality, inferior to the genuine goods, and they also cost honest local businesses money.
"Our officers work hard to prosecute this type of crime on behalf of decent law-abiding citizens and businesses and I would urge anyone with suspicions about counterfeit goods to report them to our Trading Standards team via Consumer Direct on 08454 040506.”
Date: 30 July 2010
Reference: CM/PR/EPS/124/10
Issued by Marketing and Communications Unit who can be contacted on 0161 770 4707/8/9 or email pressoffice@oldham.gov.uk