News

Man fined $90,000 for selling illegal DVDs

By RASBERT TURNER, Star Writer

SPANISH TOWN

RICHARD GAYLE, 29, from Spanish Town, St. Catherine, who was found selling several burnt CDs and DVDs, was recently fined a total of $90,000 or nine months imprisonment in the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate's Court on charges of breaching the Copyright Act.

Detective Corporal Kirk Roache of the Spanish Town Police Station told the court that on May 10 at about noon, Gayle was seen on the LOJ Shopping Complex selling several copies of bootlegged DVDs containing shows such as Shottas, King of New York and Passa Passa. Detective Roache also told the court that several cassettes containing songs that were copied from genuine sources were being sold on burnt CDs. As a result he then arrested and charged Gayle with breaching the Copyright Act.

When Gayle appeared in court last Friday before Senior Resident Magistrate Lorna Errar he pleaded guilty. He was fined $90,000 or in default of payment, nine months at hard labour. He was also ordered fingerprinted by the court. Detective Corporal Roache told THE STAR after the case that the police in St. Catherine will be going after all illegal activities.