[Release by AFACT]
On 4 September, the Australian Federal Police (AFP), supported by investigators from the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) and Music Industry Piracy Investigations (MIPI) raided a home in Caulfield South in Victoria and seized an estimated 3,500 pirated movies and music titles on optical discs along with sophisticated computer equipment.
This is the second anti-piracy raid this year on these premises, targeting the same individual. On 24 January, a raid by the AFP resulted in the seizure of over 4,000 pirated DVD movies and computer equipment. The man has not yet been charged in relation to this raid.
It is again alleged that the occupant at the residence had been importing, selling and distributing Illegal copies of movie and music DVDs over the Internet. Following a lengthy investigation, AFACT and MIPI will allege that the man had been using a number of PO boxes to import commercial quantities of pirated DVDs from China and then sold them through various online auction sites in Australia and overseas – the same modus operandi employed by the man earlier this year and which led to the earlier raid.
Movie titles seized during the raid included pirated copies of The Bank Job and Kung Fu Panda which are currently showing in Australian cinemas, and the television series Underbelly. Music DVDs seized included “Guns and Roses”, “Powderfinger” and “Live Aid Charity Concert.”
"Movie piracy is a crime that hurts the livelihoods of over 50,000 people who work in the Australian film and TV industry," said Neil Gane, Director of Operations at AFACT. "We hope that this police operation and the eventual court sentence will send a strong deterrent message that the full weight of the law can and will be brought against movie pirates."
Sabiene Heindl, General Manager of MIPI stated “Today’s AFP raid reinforces that music piracy has consequences – not only for songwriters and artists whose hard work is being blatantly ripped off, but also for the pirates whose homes will be raided on multiple occasions and stripped of illegal discs and computer equipment if necessary.”
A 62-year-old man has been charged with offences under the Copyright Act.
Maximum penalties for copyright crimes are $60,500 and/or up to five years jail per offence. Members of the public can help police identify and shut down film and music piracy operations by ringing Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or going to www.moviepiracy.org.au or www.mipi.com.au. Consumer guides to help members of the public identify whether or not DVD or CDs are pirated are available to view and download from www.afact.com.au and www.mipi.com.au