The duly noted® blog

You may recall back at the start of the year in one of my blog postings I – rather boldly – announced that before Christmas I’d informed on a movie pirate I’d spotted selling their wares – not out on a street corner or from the back of a fiesta in a car boot sale, but boldly and in full view to a member of staff inside a London estate agents. (See I a film piracy informer, Thursday 4th January 2007.)

I admitted at the time of posting my snitching on this pirate was not only from the perspective of this being – as I see it anyway – a citizen’s duty to tell the authorities of illegal activities, but that my action also had a personal edge to it; one of my own movies having been once been pirated some years back (see my previous posting for the full story – which includes details of just how prevalent the problem is – for music artists as well as filmmakers).

The agency to whom I gave my information was FACT; the Federation of Copyright Theft – yes, the same people who screen that “Do not record this film” notice before the start of the movie in multiplexes up and down the country. FACT is the film industry’s representative trade body that is committed to protecting its interests in the fight against pirate film DVDs and downloads, and their website has a facilty for you to let them know of any such activities you become aware of – which is exactly what I’d made use of at the close of last year.

Now a small part of me – the cynical part that thinks the authorities don’t give a fig – expected this information to disappear into the ether, never to be heard from again. However, I recently received a response; from Andrew Howell, FACT’s Senior Investigator. Below is his reply in full:

“SUBJECT: >business name deleted< ESTATE AGENTS & DVD’s

Julian

Thank you for your e-mail dated 29 12-06 which has been passed to me for attention. This type of street and premises selling of counterfeit DVD’s is very prevalent and FACT work with the local Police and Trading Standards to try and eradicate the problem. Numerous arrests, seizures and search warrants have been executed in and around this area. We will continue to target as much as resources allow. Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention 

Kind regards

Andy Howell

Senior Investigator”

At the time I posted my information to FACT, I was hopeful some action would be taken, I just wasn’t sure what I had to give was enough to get the legal cogs whirring. And it’s unclear whether the action to which Mr Howell refers is a direct result of my information. I somehow doubt it. More likely they were already aware of the situation, and my contribution was just another drop in their evidential bucket. Still, this is a clear sign that, at the very least, organisations like FACT are willing to receive from the public whatever they have to offer, and I’m encouraged to contact him again in the event I see more pirate activity.

So, as I did in my last post, if you’re a filmmaker or muso, and if you witness incidents of film/music piracy, I urge you not look the other way any more. Even if you think as crimes go piracy isn’t much, remember that organised crime gangs can use profits from these activities to finance worse criminal activities; drug running and human trafficing. So TAKE ACTION!

Report FILM piracy: complete a Federation of Copyright Theft (FACT) Piracy Report Form or call their hotline on 0845 603 4567

Report MUSIC piracy: email details to the British Phonographic Industry at antipiracy@bpi.co.uk or call them on 020 7803 1300

Remember – it could be your work they’re stealing!

© 2007 Julian Boote All Rights reserved.