If the Music industry kept there prices down on Cds and Dvds in the first place this would not happen. its disgusting whay The British public have to pay out for a Disc worth tuppence.
Copied music is the same thing, it just cuts out the Greedy Company's

Sell fake goods and the full weight of the law will come down on you but go out and mug and kill somebody and you get a social worker pleading your case and you get community work and maybe a free holiday? the laws in britain are all wrong.In britain we put more effort into finding petty crime rather than putting drug dealers and repeat offenders behind bars..

Yes Ace another soft target.

does anybody honestly think this warranted the expense of litigation and the costs involved in keeping this person in prison? and waht about the people who bought these fakes off him? are they not handling counterfeit goods? please dont stop here let's have 'em all in jail. another soft target and I assume this will be presented as part of the police's statistics that crime is getting sorted. news for the police - it isn't.

I agree completely. When I was a student it took 4 days for the police to come round and see me fter I got mugged virtually on my front doorstep by two teenagers with a knife. Then then asked me what they looked like and I replied that I might have been able to remember if they had bothered to turn up a little sooner. Needless to say I never heard anything further.

Then again, I'm not a big company who makes donations to political parties' electoral campaigns, so no wonder I'm not worth protecting.

The government tries to justify this by saying that counterfeiting funds terrorism and drug crime. With one or two notable expections, this is a load of rubbish. It is a victimless crime, unlike mugging!

The police and governments need to read real peoples views online, like the ones that people post in this newspaper (the real world views) no spin just real ideas and thoughts. People who are fed up with becomming yet another target for the powers to use for their own ends.(statistics and spin)

If people like him arent stopped there will be no music or any other industry, why should he get away stealing other peoples inovations.

I think they do read peoples comments ace, generally it's just not in their interest to take action for the masses.

The time spent setting up a honey trap for the fake music trader would have been better spent buying porn from all the online peadophiles, & would have warranted the cost from the public purse.
I still don't understand why the artists & companies involved in the copyright wrangle don't get billed for the police/public cost for puruing & prosecuting the counterfeiters?

In 2001 I was beaten up in a Longsight takeaway by a group of youths. I staggered to a call box and dialled 999. The operator asked was I still in danger and I said no, but I'm bleeding from a head wound. She then stated that as I was out of danger, she would arrange a police officer to visit me at home, and could I get myself to the nearest A&E? I suppose the Police were busy that night chasing counterfeit CDs or speeding motorists, so I declinded her offer.

gato
Its not the fact that he was breaking the law it was the fact that the powers seem to crack down harder on these petty crimes when people who assault pensioners ect get very light sentences.probation Ect but when it comes to stealing "money" from the rich is deemed more important?Plus larger sentances........

I am the partener of Joseph goodman, and ill like to put my side of the story accross. i would first like to thank people for the comments on him being a soft or easy target. this is true the trading standards office in salford took up over 12 hours of police time and effort which could and should have been spent else where. it has cost the tax payer over £5000.00 in legal fees alone. We live in an area where the police will not respond to the mugging or robbing of houses and people, but when the strings arE pulled they come a running. No im not saying that he didnt break the law but at the end of the day he didnt hurt mame or kill anyone. he gave a service to a great many of poeple who cant and will not be able to afford music from stores such as H.M.V. maybe this should be a wake up call to B.M.G EMI and such companies this sort of trade will never end they will continue to throw money at this so called blue coller crime when really people like muggers and rapeist are the ones who need sorting out and locking up, not JOE!!!. joe is a very ill man who is now at the mercy of the legal system. he has to take numerouse tablets just to stay fit and alive. I would like to say that his human rights are being violated as hes not being given them!!! The system is a mess, he shouldnt be in there the judge should have used common sence instead of being lead by the money aspect. of which we never made that sort of money we dont live the good life and we dont do drugs or arms either. It so daft. i just cant explain the situation the system has put us both in. When will the legal system realise that killing people mugging poeple and peado's need loking up not people that counterfiet music. This was a hobby that grew into a headless monster shall we say. fine he wont do it again but for god sake let him out!!!!

This is my Dad so 1st of all thanks for messages you all left!
I dont deny he broke the law, i am a beliver in the law and think if you break it then if fair enough you have to go to jail i do not excuse his actions, although i agree with all messages about greedy companies & rip off britain!
HOWEVER i only belive in a law that is a level playing field! How is it possible that a couple who filmed their children fighting & encouraged it only get a suspended sentence & loose the children (thank god for thier sakes) or rapsists who serve 5 years come out & re-offend even burglers have more rights than most law abideing cizitens! But yet my dad got 12 months ok only to serve 6 but he didnt hurt anyone he is not a threat to anyone he is not a danger at all yet he is locked up & there are pedofiles allowed to walk the streets freely??? what is THAT all about? So in all i just wonder what madmes run the law now as most people i know wonder the same thing too perhaps the people we pay to run the country should start to listen to us