Film buff illegally copied thousands of movies for friends

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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A FILM buff downloaded thousands of movies from the internet and illegally copied them for friends, work-mates and family, a court heard.

Richard Skelton, 40, of Portman Road, Scunthorpe, admitted three offences involving copying downloaded films and using false trade marks on them on June 23.

Alexander Odell, prosecuting for North Lincolnshire Council, told Grimsby Crown Court that the offences happened over a period of about four-and-a-half years.

Skelton was a "movie buff" who began downloading films from the internet for his personal use, he said.

The court heard he built up a collection of about 4,000 films. He bought blank CDs in bulk because it was cheaper and 600 would last him four months.

He discussed films with colleagues, including ones not already available on release, and let it be known he would download films.

He did so and printed labels on to discs. Friends would contribute money for the CD and case and he claimed he did not realise he was doing anything wrong, despite being warned by trading standards officers that it was an offence to copy and sell films. Richard Butters, mitigating, said Skelton supplied friends and family with films from time to time but never made a profit and was usually just breaking even.

"It was a favour to those people," said Mr Butters.

"Not by a long shot was it commercial trading. He was never distributing to anybody he didn't know and neither was he advertising anything."

It was an "ad hoc" arrangement and was done on a "very casual" basis with no sophistication, he said.

"It was very primitive," claimed Mr Butters.

"He was a naive film buff rather than a greedy criminal wanting to change his life by unlawful enterprise. All the films he downloaded were for his own exclusive benefit. He was exploiting trademarks."

Recorder Felicity Davies told Skelton that he had ignored a clear warning from trading standards not to copy and sell films because he did not believe it applied to what he was doing. The warning could not have been clearer and should have alerted you to the need to check that what you were doing was within the law," she said.

"It undermines genuine distribution and undermines the economic basis of the film business," said Recorder Davies.

Skelton, who works for the Royal Mail, was given 150 hours' unpaid work.

[Post Off]

Total bullsh*t. Hang the lazy barsteward!

[not me]

Skelton, who works for the Royal Mail, was given 150 hours' unpaid work.

pfft,call that a sentence?
there guys doing 00's of hours of unpaid work a year at RM,just missing breaks and starting early

[demon]

150 hours unpaid work half of our office do that allready lol

[norbert]

known one that used to do it .....you'd always got that " unique cinematic experience " in your own home , the usherette with her torch and tray of ice cream always had a cameo role ; people shuffling off to the toilet , munching popcorn with his films etc .

Unfortunately the Asians threatened him for being on their patch ....and someone spotted a knife sticking out the bottom of his locker , so the lino " Rose West " had to take him down the Conduct Code route ...he kept his job ...it's a surreal world

[norbert]

Total bullsh*t. Hang the lazy barsteward!

he's relatively harmless , different from the Boot Sale types ....one selling them and another keeping nicks for the Police / Trading Standards is different ...more often than not it's laundering drugs money