Customs officers on Thursday (March 25) arrested a 27-year-old man allegedly involved in the sale of pirated discs of a television drama series through an Internet auction site.
Following extensive investigations, Customs officers from the Anti-Internet Piracy Team found a local auction site they suspected was being used to sell pirated discs of the TV drama series. With the assistance of an Internet service provider, the officers successfully located the suspect.
During Thursday's operation, the officers raided a target unit in Tuen Mun and arrested a 27-year-old man. They also seized 42 pirated discs of the TV drama series and a set of computers, with a total estimated value of $10,000.
A spokesman for the Customs and Excise Department said today (March 27) that initial investigations showed the drama series had been recorded from a television broadcast and reproduced into VCDs for sale."
The arrested man was released on bail, pending further enquiries.
According to the Copyright Ordinance, anyone found in possession of any pirated article for commercial purpose is liable to prosecution. The maximum penalty for the offence is four years' imprisonment and a fine of $50,000 per article.
Ends/Saturday, March 27, 2004