AfterDawn: News

Police break up large Australian DVD piracy ring

Melbourne police announced today the busting of a $12 million-a-year DVD piracy ring that had been operating in Australia for years.

Police announced that shops had been set up at houses in west Melbourne and customers chose from thousands of pirated DVDs via catalog. The homes where raided early Tuesday.



The two owners of the houses were arrested and charged after the authorities seized 400,000 pirates DVDs, CDs and video games. 100 DVD burners were also seized along with $10,000 in cash.

The people arrested, a man and woman in their mid 40s, were charged with infringing copyright.

Police Commander Terry Purton went as far to say that DVD piracy was so lucrative that criminals were moving away from drug trafficking and into DVD piracy.

"They are making an obscene profit," Commander Purton said.

"They are producing DVDs for 20¢ and selling them for $10."

The Commander also said that one of the houses had been raided in November 2007 and that he was surprised to see it back in full production. The police were notified by neighbors who believed that the house was being used to deal drugs.

"They thought with the increased traffic, people coming and going, that they were selling drugs," Commander Purton said. "But people selling these DVDs are making more money than what drug dealers are."

"It's organized crime and it impacts on society, on local video stores and the film and music industries," Commander Purton added.

"Everyone thinks there's nothing wrong with buying pirated DVDs, but overall it has a substantial impact and these laboratories are starting to crop up."

"As time goes by, people in these laboratories get better at what they do," he finished.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 24 Jan 2008 16:03

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• 18 comments

• banned4gd

  "Police Commander Terry Purton went as far to say that DVD piracy was so lucrative that criminals were moving away from drug trafficking and into DVD piracy."
  
  Now that was a stupid thing for mr. officer to say. I'm thinkin' "where's the problem?" and "seems like a step in the right direction to me." It appears to me that he just basically dumbed down the offense by making the comparison.
  
  Now............as for the criminally moronic. C'mon. In your homes???
  Catalogs?? SECOND TIME SETTING UP???? I guess for some, as long as the heart continues to beat and pump red blood, they will never learn.
  
  G'Day........or should I say
  
  G'BYE

  24.1.2008 16:59 #1

• ste0087

  Quote:Police Commander Terry Purton went as far to say that DVD piracy was so lucrative that criminals were moving away from drug trafficking and into DVD piracy.
  "But people selling these DVDs are making more money than what drug dealers are."
  
  sounds like a good business...
  only joking but it is better then dealing drugs

  24.1.2008 17:26 #2

• goodswipe

  junkie: say fool, you got dat new underground LOTR's: The Two Towers on HD?
  
  DVDpusher: Jeah! I gotz dat on lockdown son, how many yews need?
  

  HD-DVD...keep the dream alive!

  24.1.2008 17:43 #3

• banned4gd

  Originally posted by goodswipe: junkie: say fool, you got dat new underground LOTR's: The Two Towers on HD?
  
  DVDpusher: Jeah! I gotz dat on lockdown son, how many yews need?
  Too funny!!! Leaving work with a brightened up day. Thanks!

  24.1.2008 17:59 #4

• bangor09

  Originally posted by goodswipe: junkie: say fool, you got dat new underground LOTR's: The Two Towers on HD?
  
  DVDpusher: Jeah! I gotz dat on lockdown son, how many yews need?Now That's a hood I can get down with, mate, care for some vegemite?

  24.1.2008 18:53 #5

• bangor09

  Quote:Police Commander Terry Purton went as far to say that DVD piracy was so lucrative that criminals were moving away from drug trafficking and into DVD piracy. Honestly, that actually sound like a GOOD thing.....
  
  I wonder how many dvd's did the police men keep for them selves, I mean, It's not like you were dealing with drugs or anything, is it??
  
  But C'mon!!! Selling from a CATALOG??? now that was Ballsy....

  24.1.2008 18:56 #6

• ikari

  Goes to show you that if the retail would sell at a reasonable price they couldn't keep the shelves stocked. That is an amazing profit margin. You would think that after the first time being caught they would be a lot more careful.

  24.1.2008 19:07 #7

• xSModder

  And what? The retailers and corporations aren't doing anything wrong by making it for 10cents to free and selling it for 20? 25? even 30?
  Who's the real criminal here?

  24.1.2008 19:17 #8

• donpugz44

  Its always somebody hating on another person's hustle. Them same damn police gone put the same damn dvds back on the streets
  "They are making an obscene profit," Commander Purton said.
  this fagg purton is just mad cuz he didnt think of it first.
  the world is full of f*ck!ng hataz. it doesnt even matter if it was a legal hustle. this is on every thing that i know there a crooked cop
  in every every department..... if anybody feel different too damn bad
  cuz you know its the truth.....

  24.1.2008 20:33 #9

• jove

  go on yall, say it. the police is all for digital rights managament. hahahahaha. ahem. ok sorry i had to say it you guys i had to say it. now imagine the tragedy that criminals are moving away from drugs to selling copied dvds, the money the big acompanies will loose, the poor artists that wont have the money to buy blue diamonds to wear for the awards show so theyl be stuck with normal diamonds... jeez...

  24.1.2008 23:53 #10

• cart0181

  Quote:"They are making an obscene profit," Commander Purton said.
  
  "They are producing DVDs for 20¢ and selling them for $10." ROFL!!! Does he know how dumb that sounds? As if that's what is wrong with piracy?? That you make too much money doing it?? Hello!!?? McFly? Anybody Home? If that's the case then the stamped disks are even worse. The point isn't supposed to be that they are making too much money, it's that they're "stealing." I guess you can't blame him for not thinking, he's a policeman, not a lawyer for the anti-piracy groups. By the way, it's just another example of how broke-minded people think making money is "wrong." It's so backwards that he's jealous of the "guy next door" selling DVDs, but has no problem giving his money to huge conglomerates that are even more efficient at it. Forget about the "Jones," try keeping up with the "Gates."

  25.1.2008 02:45 #11

• maryjayne

  $12 million a year and they get caught. I would think that after a month ($1 million) that would be good enough profit for them. Ok a month and a week so they could get their money back from the initial investment.
  
  Even $10 a DVD is too much if the movie is a cam vid burned to DVD. If it were a copy of the original DVD then that would be reasonable. Movie studios should learn from DVD and drug dealers and lower their prices. If people are willing to pay $10 for a copy, then people will be willing to pay $10 for an original pressed DVD.

  25.1.2008 07:53 #12

• ikari

  Originally posted by maryjayne: $12 million a year and they get caught. I would think that after a month ($1 million) that would be good enough profit for them. Ok a month and a week so they could get their money back from the initial investment.
  
  Even $10 a DVD is too much if the movie is a cam vid burned to DVD. If it were a copy of the original DVD then that would be reasonable. Movie studios should learn from DVD and drug dealers and lower their prices. If people are willing to pay $10 for a copy, then people will be willing to pay $10 for an original pressed DVD.That is greed for you, maryjane. Why stop at 1 million when I could make 2 million. If I can make 2 million why stop there.

  25.1.2008 15:07 #13

• sim140

  Quote:"They are producing DVDs for 20¢ and selling them for $10."My god...I would love to know where they are buying their DVD's and cases from for 20c...!!

  26.1.2008 19:03 #14

• roego

  WWonder whether the raid was because there is no one paying police to leave them alone.
  Surely it is great if people sell evn pirate cds than drugs.
  
  As said if the legal price came down?? Have a look at the price of some of the very old CD, they are still high and movies that are on cable still around $20.
  Don't kid yourself there is no corruption in Australia and in Victorie it has beeen widely reported the last few years.
  If they have enough brains to find these houses why cannot police find the drug houses???

  26.1.2008 20:47 #15

• Jizmak

  20 cents a DVD they Must be using Memorex CMC DVD's
  
  Honestly, The numbers cant be accurate, Especially when you
  add cases and printing plus the DVD media alone.
  And then to compare it to drug trafficking isn't at all a fair statement or comparison.
  
  These people were doing wrong in infringement and copyright,
  But drug dealers have no moral compassion, and sell there
  poison to Addicts , who are powerless over the drug as it anyway.
  
  Lets not worry about those who are destroying peoples lives,
  Lets protect the MPAA and the like, and keep there pockets filled,
  
  Its this same mentality that drug addicts are put into incarceration, Rather than helped to get MEDIACAL treatment
  for THERE DISEASE,
  
  I am sorry I went off on this tangent, but having an addict close
  to me and hearing this comparison is very sicking to me.
  

  
  
  
  
  Possunt Quia Posse Videntur.

  27.1.2008 01:16 #16

• bangor09

  Quote:Quote:"They are producing DVDs for 20¢ and selling them for $10."My god...I would love to know where they are buying their DVD's and cases from for 20c...!!Try Shop4tech...
  
  Just Kidding, maybe the just meant 20ç for the disc...
  
  And as for the price of an original, 10 dollars sound cool to me. that's the way I get them in ebay...even less sometimes

  27.1.2008 03:07 #17

• borhan9

  Quote:"As time goes by, people in these laboratories get better at what they do," he finished.I love this its soo true just because you have stopped one there are many others going on and thats in OZ itself you just have too look into the state of NSW.

  19.2.2008 01:46 #18