Counterfeit sales on the increase

POLOKWANE – The Polokwane police say that trading in counterfeit movies is almost as profitable as dealing drugs.

Polokwane police spokesperson, WO Lesiba Ramoshaba, says copyright theft, also known as piracy, is a growing problem in the city.

“The police have lately targeted the selling of counterfeit goods such CDs and DVDs. In some instances, electronic games have also been confiscated and destroyed,” says Ramoshaba.

He says the problem with trying to completely remove counterfeit DVDs was that not enough “counterfeit laboratories” were being found by the police and closed down. “It is not enough to just catch the dealer as they can be replaced within less than a day,” Ramoshaba says.

A dealer in counterfeit DVDs who sells his goods in the city claims to earn between R30 000 and R50 000 a month. He sells a DVD for R50 and has customers who buy as many as 20 DVDs from him every month, he says.

He has different shops and businesses that he sells to regularly and this keeps him and his wife and two children well looked after.

“I have some expenses when I buy the movies and this means that my profit is a bit less, but it is good money.

“I do not break into people’s homes and kill them; I sell things and I stay alive and look after my family.” he says.

Ramoshaba requests residents to report counterfeit sales to the police instead of supporting them.

He warns that the police will be doing regular stop and searches to prevent the sale of counterfeit goods.