Bootleg CDs: Man in court

A 31-YEAR-OLD man has admitted running an Internet bootleg CD operation from his bedroom.

Police and trading standards officers found 5,500 CDs and state-of-the-art digital copying equipment when they raided the home of David Law in Port View, Newhaven.

Lewes Magistrates Court heard on Monday that father-of-three Law had set up a website business called Kids R Us to sell the music, software and video game CDs from his bedroom.

He pleaded guilty to charges of making and selling CD copies without licence and in breach of copyright.

Law's 'factory' was raided on July 24 last year after a tip off by the Mechanical Copyright Protection Society (MCPS) Anti-Piracy Unit.

Vanessa Caira, prosecuting, said: 'Paul Veller from the MCPS said this was the largest and most comprehensive cataloguing of software he had ever seen.'

As well as computer software and Sony Playstation games Law also used his 7,500 computer set-up to create bootleg music CDs by artists including Oasis, Abba, The Bee Gees and Cliff Richard. All the counterfeit CDs were seized along with the equipment, bank statements and trading accounts.

As Law's home was searched the postman delivered nine letters containing cheques and postal orders from customers.

Miss Caira said Law had claimed he had no idea how much his business was making but accounts showed that in the 10 days before the raid he had grossed 1,700. The business had been up-and-running for a year.

Terry Ballard, defending, said Law had wrongly believed he could make copies of CDs for people as a back-up copy if they already owned a bona fide original, and had made this clear with a warning on his website.

He said: 'It was his belief, quite genuinely, that if he was supplying these back-up copies to a person that had a licence to have such a back-up copy he was acting lawfully and legitimately and in no way dishonestly.'

He added: 'At no time did he think anyone would lose out because of his activities.'

It was revealed that Law had managed to accrue 10,000 in a business account. However, he had not touched the cash as soon as he realised they were 'ill gotten gains', said Mr Ballard.

He added that the money was available to pay 'a very substantial penalty'.

Magistrates deferred sentencing for probation reports. However, Law was warned all sentencing options, including his committal to Crown Court for a more severe penalty than magistrates could issue, would be considered.

He was released on unconditional bail until May 20.