More than 100,000 counterfeited DVDs were seized in raid by U.K.’...

May 1. Following investigation that identified major U.K. importers of pirate DVD product from Far East, in particular Malaysia, authorities raided private house May 2. FACT said potential sales value of professionally pressed pirate DVDs seized was more than ?1,425,000 ($2,337,000 at ?1 = $1.64), making it largest pirate DVD haul to date in U.K. Also seized were numerous other optical discs, import documents, computer equipment. Thousands of pieces of artwork were recovered, including sleeves and imported “topside labels” for DVDs that appeared to be for application to counterfeit DVD-R discs, FACT said. Unidentified suspect was immigrant from Singapore who had been in U.K. for less than 6 weeks but already had managed to bank thousands of pounds in cash, group said. Information obtained from house indicated that suspect had aspirations to take over 50% of London pirate market, FACT said. In search, officers also found small DVD-R lab in upstairs room with 10 DVD burners housed in 3 PCs. More than 2,000 DVD-Rs with unknown content were seized along with disc labels with latest film titles ready to be adhered to DVD-Rs, FACT said. Motion Picture Assn.’s program in Malaysia has received preliminary information from raid and is investigating in Malaysia and Singapore to locate manufacturing source. Separately, FACT said Mon. it had noticed increase in number of pressed counterfeit DVDs with 2 or more titles in recent weeks. Phenomenon has been reported in past, but those discs generally were poor quality DVD-R versions produced on PC burners in U.K. Compilation discs are concern as they have at least double impact on industry, priced around ?8-?10 in U.K. markets. Source material used for DVDs in some cases was camcorder copy of theatrical titles, but also post-video release titles ripped digitally and of better playback quality, FACT said. X Men II and Matrix Reloaded compilation were seized by FACT May 25 in open-air market, it said.