TORONTO – The RCMP and Toronto Police Service have teamed up to seize thousands of DVDs and lay over 30 charges as part of efforts to clamp down on vendors of pirated movies.
The partnership, dubbed Project OSTINGER, was formed to investigate alleged Copyright Act infringement activities. The year-long operation has recently focused on businesses operating out of the Oriental Centre in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough after police and the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association (CMPDA) received complaints about pirated movies being sold at the mall on a daily basis. Reports have said the pirated copies were being sold for $3 each, though the sale price for the genuine article should range from $20 to $30.
"Piracy is a widespread problem, not only in the GTA and North America, but worldwide, especially during peak shopping periods such as seasonal holiday celebrations”, said Inspector Todd Gilmore, officer in charge of the Greater Toronto Area’s federal enforcement section, in a statement. “Legitimate business and the Canadian economy are adversely impacted by this type of intellectual property crime."
An international union representing workers in the stagecraft, motion picture, television production, and trade show industries said that it is “pleased to see law enforcement take the issue seriously”.
"Digital motion picture theft is endangering the livelihoods of workers in the creative industries – from cinematographers to carpenters to hair stylists”, said IATSE president Matthew D. Loeb.
