Shop man caught with fake DVDs

A Coppice shopkeeper has been prosecuted for selling counterfeit DVDs.

Basharat Ali, of St Thomas Street North, was sentenced to 100 hours’ unpaid work and told to pay £2,324 costs by Oldham magistrates.

The 54-year-old pleaded guilty to possessing 1,200 counterfeit DVDs for sale at his shop at in Waterloo Street, Glodwick Precinct.

Trading Standards officers and a trade expert on Asian films visited Ali’s shop in June, 2009, the court heard. They found numerous counterfeit copies and seized 1,200 DVDs, comprising a mix of Asian films and popular Western titles, including “Harry Potter” and “American Gangster”.

A Trading Standards officer had earlier made a test purchase from the shop. When the film was examined by an Asian films expert it was confirmed to be a counterfeit copy.

Councillor Rod Blyth, cabinet member for community safety and public protection, said: “I hope cases like this will deter others who wrongly believe they can defraud the public by selling counterfeit goods.”

“These items are often of poor quality, inferior to the genuine goods, and they also cost honest local businesses money.

“I would urge anyone with suspicions about counterfeit goods to report them to our Trading Standards team via Consumer Direct on 08454-040506.”