Six jailed over PIR8 DVD sales

Firms selling bootleg products on the internet

Six UK men have been jailed for up to four years after being found guilty of running an Internet-based pirate DVD and music operation, PIR8.

The men ran the PIR8 web forum which sold pirated DVDs, CDs and games to more than 13,000 users.

The convictions are the result of a three-year investigation and prosecution by the Federation Against Copyright Theft (Fact) and the case is the first of its kind in the UK. In all, 26 computers were seized, along with a server at an industrial site in Sheffield.

The site owner, Lee Richard Bennett, from South Normington, Derbyshire, was sentenced to four years imprisonment. The others, Barry Jarvis, Kevin Bowles, Robert Chester, Jason Morgan and Christopher Pomroy all received sentences ranging from one year to six months. Community Punishment Orders were handed down to three others.

“This was a major criminal conspiracy and a sophisticated organisation making hundreds of thousands of pounds from their illegal activities,” said Kieron Sharp, Fact director general.

“The public should also be aware that in purchasing pirate DVDs they are contributing to these criminals’ profits, bringing criminal activity to their neighbourhoods and affecting the livelihoods of local businesses.”