Old Kent Road shopkeeper convicted of selling pirate DVDs

On 7 December 2007 at the Inner London Crown Court, Luis Ostolaza, trading as Sol Andino Services at 206 Old Kent Road, was found guilty of eight charges relating to the supply of counterfeit DVDs.

In June 2007 Southwark's trading standards officers raided Ostolaza's property and seized more than 3,000 counterfeit DVDs.

Many of the DVDs were Hollywood blockbusters, a significant proportion of which were not available on DVD format at the time of the raid.

The raid was carried out as a result of information supplied by the Federation Against Copyright and Theft (FACT).

Ostolaza, 44, was sentenced to nine months imprisonment for each charge to be served concurrently. The sentence was suspended for 18 months.

He was also ordered to carry out 200 hours community service and was ordered to pay full costs of £6,500. An order was also given to destroy the seized DVDs and associated equipment.

"The council is determined to stamp out illegal 'businesses' in Southwark in order to protect consumers and other local traders, says Cllr Jeff Hook, executive member for community safety.

"Businesses should not be subjected to unfair competition from those operating outside the law, and consumers have a right to be confident that what they purchase is legitimate and value for money.

"Our preference is always to work with businesses to ensure that they are aware of legislation around DVD sales. We will, however, have no hesitation in using our full powers to crack down on businesses that flout the law. This prosecution sends out the clear message that traders must stay within the law or risk hefty penalties."