Tech Shout!

West Yorkshire Trading Standards Service (WYTSS) and West Yorkshire Police together, on Sunday 27th April, tracked down around 12,000 illegally copied discs and over 150 devices used for ‘chipping’.

Two traders were arrested after a raid was conducted on a computer fair in Bradford. Both the traders were allegedly selling copied computer softwares and games. They also found a few other stall at the fair selling software and other chipping devices.

Michael Rawlinson, managing director of ELSPA (The Entertainment & Leisure Software Publishers Association) said, “The raid at Dunn Sports Centre in Bradford highlights the ongoing commitment demonstrated by local Trading Standards authorities in stamping this kind of operation out. ELSPA would like to thank everyone involved for their work instigating this investigation and helping to protect local traders and the general community from the effects of pirated goods.”

There was also a raid conducted in Leeds which cracked down approximately 5000 counterfeit softwares, films and music discs. As per WYTSS estimates the retail value of the items uncovered are worth £100,000 approximately, but the equivalent value of the actual product is more than £1million.