HARRY POTTER AND THE PIRATE VIDEOS
Copyright 2001 www.tombraiderchronicles.com

[ November 19th 2001 ]

Pirate copies of the record-breaking Harry Potter motion picture have flooded the famous Barras market in Glasgow where counterfeiters are charging five U.K pounds for illegal copies of the fantasy adventure movie based on JK Rowling's children's books.

The Barras market came under the spotlight last year when poor quality counterfeit copies of Lara Croft Tomb Raider, Blow and Evolution found their way onto stalls. One stallholder boasted: "We can get you anything that's showing at the pictures. We're just like the Odeon."

Police and trading officers have mounted massive raids at the Barras to curb the booming counterfeit trade. One trading standards officer said: "You can tell the copies are counterfeit. The covers are poor photocopies of posters for the film. Wait until it comes out in the pictures because you'll only be lining crooks' pockets.

When confronted, one stallholder denied she was selling fakes. She said: "I don't know what you're talking about. We don't want any problems. We're here every week selling videos and we only selling the best. If you're unhappy with them come back and I'll give you a refund."

Shoppers at the Barras said they didn't worry about buying counterfeit videos. One said: "I can't see what harm buying pirate versions does. Nobody gets hurt doing it." But a spokesman for Glasgow City Council's Trading Standards Department disagreed, he said: "The studios lose a fortune to the pirates. If we don't stamp them out, there'll be no money for companies to make movies."