A 72-year-old man has pleaded guilty to selling fake DVDs, after more than 40,000 were seized from his home.
John Williams of Pot Kiln Road, Great Cornard, near Sudbury, pleaded guilty to two offences related to the sale, supply and manufacturer of counterfeit DVDs today.
The films were seized from Mr Williams' home in October 2021, alongside computers, disc burners, a colour photo copier and print-outs of case covers.
Simon Brown, Director of the UK's Film Content Protection Agency (FCPA), said: "Mr Williams not only deceived hundreds of people but misappropriated thousands of pounds.
"Many people think copyright theft is a victimless crime and that buying a counterfeit DVD or streaming a pirate film online has no direct consequences.
However, this is quite simply not the case; Not only does film piracy deprive the creative industries and UK economy of millions of pounds a year, but it also detrimentally impacts the livelihoods of thousands of people who work in and support the industry."
Williams first became known to Suffolk Trading Standards when they received a report of fake cult and classic DVDs being sold on a website. Test purchases were carried out, and they were confirmed as fake.
Forensic analysis of the seized computers also found that Williams had sold fake DVDs when attending film and TV fairs, mainly in London, and that he sold discs had a wide network of customers in the UK and abroad.
Appearing at Ipswich Crown Court today, Williams pleaded guilty to one offence under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998 and one under the Trademark Act 1994.
His sentencing will be on July 24, 2023.
Cllr Andrew Reid, cabinet member responsible for Public Health and Public Protection, thanked Trading Standards, the Film Content Protection Agency and the National Trading Standards eCrime team for their work in Williams' case.