Pig Race DVD Producer Blames eBay Pirates

A businessman claims to be losing £70,000 a year because illegal copies of his videos and DVDs are being traded on internet site eBay. Keith Bowen, 57, who owns a company called Nite Out promotions, buys the rights to racing events, from horse races to fun pig races, and adds graphics and commentary. He then sells the package to pubs, clubs and charity event organisers.

Bowen has already taken legal action against one seller, but new sellers have been appearing on the website at a rate of one a week.

People can "bet" on the races using tokens and the game is used to raise up to £1,000 a night for charities.

But for at least a year, counterfeiters have been selling bootleg copies of his work on eBay.

Mr Bowen said: "We find a new seller about once a week, and usually we email them to say we own the copyright, and they're taken off the next day.

"Still we're losing money hand over fist. We used to rely on up to 10 new customers a month, but for the last few months we've had a total standstill."

Technology
One eBay seller from Oxfordshire withdrew more than 100 copied DVDs after a legal warning last year, but re-advertised them last week.

Mr Bowen suspects there is just one person supplying the copies, and he has been as far as Newcastle and Ayr to meet sellers in a bid to uncover their identity.

He said: "There must be a mega-producer somewhere as it takes a lot of time and technology to make so many copies."

Mr Bowen said he had hired lawyers Mason Jones to pursue counterfeiters.

Manchester Trading Standards Officer Barry Lewin said: "The best thing Keith can do is put eBay on notice that they are selling copyright-protected goods.

"Any auctioneer can be prosecuted if they know what they are selling is illegal."

eBay's head of trust and safety, Gareth Griffith, said: "We do not allow replica or counterfeit goods to be sold on the website.

"If there are any listings which infringe Mr Bowen's copyright we will shut them down immediately."

Story source: manchesteronline.co.uk.