IMDB: In what is believed to be the largest VHS counterfeiting bust in the United Kingdom in nearly two years, police and the U.K. video piracy watchdog, the Federation Against Copyright Theft, this week smashed a Lord of the Rings piracy factory, the agency reported Wednesday.
Norfolk police and FACT officers Tuesday raided an industrial unit in East Anglia, northeast of London, and found a counterfeiting operation containing more than 200 VCRs and “many thousands” of pirated VHS copies of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’ and related artwork. FACT said two men on the premises were arrested and held in custody overnight.
It added that several other arrests are anticipated in forthcoming weeks. FACT said the operation is the subject of what is “likely to be the largest VHS piracy bust by FACT since Feb. 7, 2001, when 1,200 VCRs and more than 70,000 counterfeit VHS tapes were seized.” Known as the Covroc case, that operation is due to go to trial Nov. 18 at Norwich Crown Court.
