UK fights back: Additional grants to combat piracy

For the people who have been enjoying the latest trend of workarounds that have arrived for the Wii and quite possibly the PS3, brace yourselves.

In a bid to help up its fight against piracy, the UK-based Department of Trade and Industry is awarding trading standards officers more men, along with a £ 5-million government grant. This comes as part of the new powers being granted under UK’s Copyright, Designs and Patents Act.

Going into detail, the new powers include making enforcement of copyright infringement the duty of Trading Standards, and give enforcement officers the power to make test purchases, enter premises, and inspect and seize goods and documents.

DTI minister Malcom Wicks issued this statement in front of the Intellectual Property (IP) Crime Group in London:

There will be an additional 4,500 pairs of Trading Standards eyes watching counterfeiters and pirates. This will mean more surprise raids at markets and car boot sales, more intelligence, more prosecutions and more criminals locked up.

He noted that film, music, and game piracy in the UK cost concerned industries up to £ 9 billion per year, with taxpayers losing out £ 300 million from the illegal trade.

Entertainment and Leisure Software Association (ELSPA) director Paul Jackson welcomes the DTI’s initiative, which runs parallel to their recently announced anti-piracy plans for this year. “The fight against IP theft remains a massive problem for not only the games business but film, music and branded goods,” Jackson said.

The new powers are scheduled to take effect this April 6.

For the people who have been enjoying the latest trend of workarounds that have arrived for the Wii and quite possibly the PS3, brace yourselves.

In a bid to help up its fight against piracy, the UK-based Department of Trade and Industry is awarding trading standards officers more men, along with a £ 5-million government grant. This comes as part of the new powers being granted under UK’s Copyright, Designs and Patents Act.

Going into detail, the new powers include making enforcement of copyright infringement the duty of Trading Standards, and give enforcement officers the power to make test purchases, enter premises, and inspect and seize goods and documents.

DTI minister Malcom Wicks issued this statement in front of the Intellectual Property (IP) Crime Group in London:

There will be an additional 4,500 pairs of Trading Standards eyes watching counterfeiters and pirates. This will mean more surprise raids at markets and car boot sales, more intelligence, more prosecutions and more criminals locked up.

He noted that film, music, and game piracy in the UK cost concerned industries up to £ 9 billion per year, with taxpayers losing out £ 300 million from the illegal trade.

Entertainment and Leisure Software Association (ELSPA) director Paul Jackson welcomes the DTI’s initiative, which runs parallel to their recently announced anti-piracy plans for this year. “The fight against IP theft remains a massive problem for not only the games business but film, music and branded goods,” Jackson said.

The new powers are scheduled to take effect this April 6.