by Simon Quicke17 September 2008
The Federation Against Software Theft (FAST) has used the
powers set down in the Copyright and Patents Act for the first time to support
an anti-piracy raid.
Under Section 107A in the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act
1988, which came into force in April last year Trading Standards are able to enter premises they suspect of holding counterfiet product.
FAST launched a raid at an
address in Becton, East London following up a tip off from a member that noticed that somebody local was selling counterfeit.
“The evidence brought to Trading Standards by FAST legal has
proved invaluable in securing police cooperation for the raid. Critically this
is the first time for my branch in UK history that we have been able
to use these new powers granted in April 2007,” said a spokesman for FAST.
Trading standards cautioned the individual after discovering
the evidence at his home and was told to cease sales of counterfeit products.
News of the raid builds on a relationship FAST has been
developing with Trading Standards with the groups working together in Cardiff to counter counterfeit
there.
It also follows on from the announcement earlier today from
the Business Software Alliance that it has started legal proceedings against a counterfeit
trader in Wolverhampton.
