POLICE have seized £51,000 in cash and a Porsche from a Manchester bootlegger who "struck at the heart" of the world's entertainment industry.
They took the money and the s-registered Porsche Boxter, worth more than £10,000, from 28-year-old Peter Dale.
The cash has been handed to the Treasury while police are holding onto the car and may decide to add it to the GMP fleet.
Officers seized Dale's assets after he was jailed over a counterfeit DVD scam he operated from two shops at Affleck's Palace in the city centre.
Last month he was jailed for 20 months at Manchester Crown Court.
Det Con Chris Howarth said: "Over a sustained period of time, Dale made thousands of pounds from selling counterfeit DVDs and failed to declare any of this to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs.
"He even had the arrogance to carry on selling these illegal DVDs while on police bail.
"However, if he thought he was above the law and could continue selling the counterfeit DVDs without fear of prosecution he was mistaken. The fact that he was forced to forfeit £51,000 of his ill-gotten gains and give up a Porsche, which now sits proudly in our possession, is testament to that.
"I am delighted we were able to retrieve such a large amount of money."
Customers were duped into buying fake films and computer games which looked like genuine high-quality items.
But they were being produced on a commercial basis from Dale's modest home at Crammond Close in Newton Heath.
About 9,000 fake DVDs were seized by police who estimate the sales netted Dale £50,000 in nine months.
Illegal
He bought the Boxter from his illegal earnings.
Jailing Dale, Judge Andrew Gilbart said: "This type of crime affects commercial life. It affects the lives of those who appear in, write and produce this type of thing and expect to get paid. You took part in a determined criminal enterprise and . . . it was obviously run with efficiency and skill.
"The enterprise strikes at the heart of the ability of the artistic community and entertainment industry to benefit in producing material the public enjoys watching and listening to."
Police first raided Dale's shop and home in January, 2007. They discovered the cash hidden behind the panel of a briefcase. His Porsche was on his girlfriend's drive. He was released him on bail.
They visited him again three months later to discover he was continuing his scam.
Dale rented a unit called Pink Kamikazi at Afflecks Palace, and also used a second unit leased to his girlfriend, called Rubber Plantation, where the counterfeit films and games were sold. The fake DVDs - from blockbusters to TV series and animated films - were either made at Dale's home or bought from others.
Officers who searched Dale's house discovered a film-making factory including seven computers and 11 DVD-making machines.
Police, trading standards and the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) jointly investigated the scam.
Dale pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud through the manufacture and distribution of unauthorised copies of films, sound recordings, musical works, interactive video games and software and numerous copyright offences.
Kieron Sharp, FACT director general, added: "The seizure of the car and cash in this case show the criminal profits that are being accrued by those involved in the manufacture and sale of knock-off DVDs. FACT works closely with Greater Manchester Police and other police forces across the UK to target these criminals and to seize their assets using Proceeds of Crime legislation."
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Porsche seized from city bootlegger
April 03, 2008
Showing comments 1 to 23 and replies | View All
Adam Browne (03/04/2008 at 09:40)
If the film industry wasn’t so greedy and didn’t charge so much then there would be no need for bootleggers.
Maybe the money that he made whist providing a great service resulted in a film producer not getting an extra bag of peanuts on his first class trip to Barbados this year.
The Jail time he was given is ridiculous considering how over crowded the British prison service is at the moment, people get less for murder these days!
The government not receiving money is classed as a more serious violation of the law than a crime that actually effects real people .
I have visited the Pink Kamikazi many times and didn’t see the monster that the greedy government and movie organisations are trying to paint into the minds of the public.
Imagine the police resources that could be saved by ceasing to investigate violations of such a trivial nature.
Peter Dale being sentenced to jail time means nothing in the greater scheme of things, it only means that another bootlegger will come along soon and take his place as there is now a hole in the market to provide such a service.
The movie industry are fighting a battle that they can not possibly win.
Black Flag (03/04/2008 at 10:08)
Copyright was originally intended to benefit the public, by giving authors a temporary monopoly (originally 14 years) over their work, which, it was believed, would increase the amount of work being produced and further scientific and literary progress. It didn't do any real harm to the general public, because not many people had access to a priniting press at the time.
Over time, the "rights holders" tried to twist the public perception to make it look like the law was for their benefit, not ours. The result has been the absurd situation where copyright has been extended to stupidly long terms and the film and music industry are now attempting to ban our free use of the internet in order to protect their "rights," in the same way that the film and music industries tried to have video and cassette recorders banned when they were first introduced. A law which was originally designed to benefit the public is being used as an excuse to take away our freedom and privacy, purely to benefit a few fat cats.
To understand the mentality of those pushing for draconian copyright laws, you need look no further than the name of the "Federation Against Copyright Theft." It is a complete propaganda term, as there is no such offence as copyright theft. Theft requires the taking of property and in legal terms, copyright is not property, it is a government granted privilege.
I wouldn't go as far as excusing the profiteering of the man in the story, but I think the law needs to be changed to allow the non-commercial sharing of copyrighted materials. It was that kind of freedom which allowed the growth of libraries and the same prinicple needs to be applied in the modern world.
ace, manchester (03/04/2008 at 10:11)
Jimc (03/04/2008 at 10:25)
Then this guy gets 20 months, £51,000 and his £10,000 car confiscated, which the police insidentely are proud to have in thier possesion.
I have said it before and will say it again. The judicial system in this country is a total farce.
GMP may add the Porsche to thier own fleet, as far as i am concerned they have stolen it. Why not sell the car and give the money to charity.
The Bobelesque, MANCHESTER (03/04/2008 at 11:09)
Posters who whinge that he was providing a service for the poor are naive and idiotic. If the poor can't afford things then they are not meant to have them. It is not a reason for other enterprising spivs to criminally supply them.
Some of these supporters of this villain would not be too pleased to discover that their possessions were being stolen to supply somebody else lower down the social strata at a price they felt they could afford.
BOOTLEGGING IS THEFT!
joel81, MANCHESTER (03/04/2008 at 12:01)
Peter was a nice guy, not as if he were supplying drugs, they were copys of dvds which are available most places if you look! at the end of the day who has never copied a disc or taped a film off the tv???
The Bobelesque, MANCHESTER (03/04/2008 at 12:08)
Little Angel (03/04/2008 at 12:21)
mylifeinthemafia (03/04/2008 at 12:53)
Batfink, Manchester (03/04/2008 at 13:41)
The Bobelesque, MANCHESTER (03/04/2008 at 14:33)
Rather typical of you to make assumptions.
Come-On-City. Paris, France. (03/04/2008 at 15:18)
Your point about 'what if he was stealing from us' is rather ridiculous.
He wasn't.
But if he was he would have got a suspended sentence. However steal from a large, multi-national corporation and he is put away for 20 months!
This guy was no threat to society. Nor was he a threat to the millions and billions that the entertainment industry makes every year.
denton blue (03/04/2008 at 15:36)
mylifeinthemafia (03/04/2008 at 15:50)
Black Flag (03/04/2008 at 16:38)
Both the law and the dictionary disagree.
"Some of these supporters of this villain would not be too pleased to discover that their possessions were being stolen"
You are probably right, but in this case, nobody's possessions have been stolen, so it is a false analogy.
"Taping for personal use is allowed."
In general it isn't. You are only allowed to "time-shift" a TV program, so you can tape it only to enable you to watch it at a more convenient time. If you watch it a second time, you are breaking the law, or, as the film and music industries would describe it, you are a "pirate" or a "copyright thief."
peter-pie-eater, Wigan (03/04/2008 at 18:38)
Here here Mylife so come on Bob please explain yourself!
JoNinety (03/04/2008 at 19:06)
Adam Browne (03/04/2008 at 21:53)
What did he physically steal?
Where is the CCTV footage of him entering HMV and stuffing a bunch of DVD's up his shirt?
This debate has been going on a lot longer than before you came along and made an on the spot judgement about a man and circumstance in which you know nothing about.
You have obviously been brainwashed by the propergander of the movie industry who twist and change the law to there own needs, can you tell me any more about the subject of piracy other than the warning that you have seen before the movie starts?
Do you really believe that piracy funds terrorism.... don't make me laugh.
Ever borrowed a DVD from somebody (of course you have)….. Go to jail, do not pass go and do not collect 200 from the bank because you have just broken the law and illegally stole that viewing of the material.
Stealing is stealing? what is worse, your best friend making you a pirate copy of the new Indiana Jones movie or me putting a knife to your throat and demanding your money?
They give your friend 20 months in prison because it involves money….. I only receive a two year suspended sentence even though it is a crime that has mentally scared and effected you for life.
Both of these examples are theft, both of these crimes are equal according to your opinion.
Martin Stockport (03/04/2008 at 22:30)
Adam Browne (04/04/2008 at 00:02)
I ask you the same question as i did Bobelesque ' have you ever borrowed a DVD or CD from a friend?’
Opinion really does matter when it comes to the public judging the seriousness of a crime, if public opinion believes a sentence or crime to be ridiculous then the sentence can be adjusted on appeal or the law can be changed.
For example, downgrading cannabis to a grade C substance and legalising homosexuality….
Remember those community graffiti artists who were given a long sentence a few months back?
Why should he have stopped selling his DVD’s if he knew that he would be going to jail, his lawyer would have given him the most likely outcome of the verdict.
Martin, do you believe that what he did hurt anybody?
Your answer gave very little away about your opinion on the matter.
Does anyone remember when the music companies tried to sue that little girl a few years ago for downloading her favourite songs, the current laws for copyright are not there to protect the artist any longer, instead the laws are there to prevent the industry from losing money due to there conglomerated greed on the market.
Look past what you have been told to hate by the media, find the true nature of the people behind the story and you will find a completely new understanding.
The Bobelesque, MANCHESTER (04/04/2008 at 08:25)
No
Martin Stockport (04/04/2008 at 21:33)
Adam Browne (04/04/2008 at 23:49)
The very people you are supporting are lying to you. A man in which you have never met upsets you more than a whole industry that lies to your face every time you watch a movie?
Now, I have some journalism training and know a little bit about how to use sources to sensationalise a story (which every good journalist should do!).
The S-registered Porsche Boxter…
People hear the magical word ‘Porsche’ and they automatically think 'lot’s of money'!
The s-plate came out between 1998-1999 for the Porsche, so unless his DVD business had been open for ten years then I very much doubt that the car was brand new when he bought it.
I did a little research myself and discovered that I could also buy a s-registered Porsche Boxter for as little as £6.000, which is the average price of a new family car.
Now, lets address the subject of his ’modest’ home.
The average house price in Newton Heath is between £80,000- £110.000, it is not stated if he rents the house, owns the house or is even living with his parents!
I’m thinking that the house must be rented as the property would have been confiscated if it could be proved that it was paid for through piracy.
The police say that they have seized £51,000 cash.
First of all, £51,000 ‘cash’ can be translated into meaning that is bank account was frozen, doesn’t the story give you a mental image of Dale having a swimming pool full of money in his house!
The story does not actually say where that money came from, did he just sell his house? did a rich relative just die? Or was it his life’s savings?…. Lets just assume that it was from his business.
Now some math, I know from visiting the shop that he charged £5 a DVD.
He had 9.000 pirate DVD’s….. some would have been old stock and some would not have sold anyway, that’s just the nature of business.
Let’s call it 8.000 DVD’s as it was only a police estimate anyway, 8.000 DVD’s selling at £5 equals £40.000, divide this total by two and it equals £20.000 per shop.
Now, take away the price of shop rent (?), staff (minimum wage per hour, per week), production costs and buying from other sellers (as in the article) and you could shave off at least another £15.000-£17.000 per business.
Now, Lets split the estimates for each shop and say that the total net profit was estimated at £8,000- £10.000 total (I have added two grand to the total profit as the article says that the estimated sales were over a nine month period).
The organisations that caught him suggest that he was a money baron who was making hundreds of thousands of pounds and raking it in…. not to mention that he was an evil criminal!
From doing a little research and math I have come to the conclusion that in reality he was making a little over minimum wage, lived in a rented house in a poor area of Manchester whilst driving an average priced car.
He is not a bad person as he is being described, the description of his financial activities has been distorted out of all proportion so that he can be painted a monster in the eyes of the public.