Video piracy mastermind jailed

Police seized thousands of tapes in two raids

The mastermind behind what is thought to be the biggest pirate video operation in Europe has been jailed for almost four years.

Allen Watts, 56, from Attleborough, Norfolk, admitted two counts of conspiracy to defraud the film industry at Norwich Crown Court.

His fake videos were so well done they were being bought by big high street stores causing film companies to lose millions of pounds.

In a raid on a warehouse near Bowthorpe in Norfolk in February 2001, police found some 1,200 video recorders and 70,000 video cassettes.

Watts pleaded not guilty at an earlier hearing

The multi-million pound operation produced thousands of counterfeit copies of blockbuster movies including The Matrix, Gladiator, Lord of the Rings and The Green Mile.

In a second raid, on 15 October 2002, officers found thousands of copies of the box office hit Lord of the Rings at another pirate production line in industrial unit near Saxmundham, Suffolk.

David Groome, prosecuting, said the pirate films were of the highest quality ever seen.

He said the film industry first started having concerns in June 2000 when sales of blockbuster movies were falling.

"There were also concerns that every respectable high street retailer was selling video films at alarmingly low prices," he said.

It had a major effect on local business as well as national business and distributors and wholesalers for the video industry

Spencer Mott
Federation Against Copyright Theft

He said the market had become flooded with high quality counterfeits supplied by a company called Covroc UK of which Watts was managing director.

His company, which legitimately produced a low level of budget films, was also a front for the illegal operation.

After the hearing a spokesman for the Federation Against Copyright Theft (Fact) said the operation was Europe's biggest pirate video operation.

The prosecution was brought after two years of investigations by Norfolk police and Fact.

Fact spokesman Spencer Mott said the piracy had had a major impact on the industry.

"It had a major effect on local business as well as national business and distributors and wholesalers for the video industry.

Counterfeits warning

"I would like to stress that this was not a Robin Hood crime.

"This was a case that had an effect on local Norfolk business and had the potential to put local video dealers out of business."

The industry, which estimates it loses £400m a year from film piracy in the UK, says this should act as a warning to anyone producing counterfeit goods.

Watts was jailed for three years and 11 months.