Music lover Angela Cochrane traded online in pirate DVDs and CDs – and a court heard the value of her illegal material topped £54,000.
She had her own website called Angie’s Bootleg DVDs, but was snared by the anti-piracy unit from BPI – the organisation representing the UK’s recorded music industry.
The first offender admitted three charges of infringing copyright by illegal trading from her home in Penman Place, Galashiels, between April 18, 2005, and January 6, 2011. She also pleaded guilty to making DVDs and CDs she knew were illicit recordings. Cochrane, 51, also admitted having two computer base units, three hard drives, two micro SD cards and a memory card specifically designed, or adapted, to make copies.
Her gear was confiscated and at Selkirk Sheriff Court on Monday she was fined £300.
Tessa Bradley, prosecuting, told an earlier hearing: “During October 2010, information was received by staff at the anti-piracy unit that the accused was distributing pirate discs and had a significant customer base.”
Cochrane admitted she was the website proprietor, but denied offering items for cash sale, saying she traded discs with others.
Ms Bradley said: “It is accepted by the Crown that she was not selling them, but that it was a trading site swopping with other users. She was either burning off DVDs and posting them, or downloading them. In excess of 3,000 productions were found. The bootleg material is valued in excess of £54,000 – based on what it would have cost if bought legitimately.”
Defending, Mat Patrick said some of the items recovered from his client’s home had been bought legitimately. Mr Patrick said the defence took no issue with the Crown assessment for forfeiture.
He said: “This was not a money-making enterprise. It was a swapping site. She is a music fan and invested a lot of time and money in that hobby. That is how she built up the site she was running.”
Sheriff Peter Paterson told Cochrane: “These issues are complex, but I accept this was a non-commercial operation. By the forfeiture recovered, you have already suffered a significant financial penalty.”