Local Trading Standards and police officers seized over 800 counterfeit DVDs at a Morecambe market last month – including several Oscar nominated titles.
Members of Morecambe’s Poulton neighbourhood police team also assisted Trading Standards in seizing around 250 items of fake designer clothing in the raid at the Sunday car boot-style market, held in the town on 28th February.
Among the DVD titles seized were recent cinema releases such as the Quentin Tarantino film Inglorious Basterds, the animated feature Avatar and other box office hits such as Wolfman, The Lovely Bones and The Fantastic Mr Fox. Counterfeited clothing brands included Henley, G Star, Adidas.
If authentic, the items would have an official retail value of around £20,000 – although many of the DVDs are not yet available in the shops.
Trading Standards are continuing their investigation into the sellers of the goods, who face possible prosecution in relation to offences under the Trade Marks Act 1994, which carries a potential maximum penalty of ten years imprisonment.