Ming Hu faced two charges under the 1984 Video Recordings Act and the 1994 Trademarks Act for selling illegally reproduced DVDs, as well as86 adult DVDs which can only be sold through a licensed sex retailer.
Hu was apprehended selling the DVDs at the Spring Lane Industrial Estate, an industrial complex located in Malvern. He was found to be in possession of 154 counterfeit mainstream DVDs.
Magistrates in Worchester insisted on a jail term for Hu due to prior offenses of selling pirated content. Hu was given two-month sentences for each offense that he will serve concurrently.
“This result again demonstrates how serious a crime counterfeiting is and we welcome the decision of the court in imposing a custodial sentence,” Worchester County Trading Standards’ John Dell said. “Local businesses can be seriously affected by counterfeiting and in some cases be forced to close.”
“The trade pushes up the price of genuine products and DVD piracy is also known to fuel organized crime including human trafficking and terrorism,” Dell said.
