(Berlin, 31 January 2005) A man who offered illegal copies of films on eBay was captured by investigators of the German Federation Against Copyright Theft (Gesellschaft zur Verfolgung von Urheberrechtsverletzungen e.V., GVU) and must now pay a total of 16,500 euros in fines. The man had previously signed a punishable declaration of forbearance, against which he had repeatedly trespassed. The movie thief, who believed himself safe in the anonymity of the Internet, was apprehended as a result of test copies ordered from him. The final sentence has yet to be handed down, and is expected to include a prison term.

Using the pseudonym "karol_cccp" a certain Mr. D. from Giessen offered numerous illegal copies of cinema films such as “Troy” and “The Last Samurai” for sale on the eBay auction website. After the auction was blocked and Mr. D. had signed a declaration of forbearance, he sent e-mails to people who were bidding on DVDs offered by other sellers, offering them his pirated copies, including the films "I, Robot" and "Spiderman 2". Spot purchases of films offered by Mr. D. identified the copies he sold as illegal. During a police search of Mr. D.’s apartment, 251 CDs and DVDs were found. Legal proceedings are pending.

Commenting on the case, GVU managing director Jochen Tielke said, "Movie thieves have no reason to feel safe – not even if they work undercover. They not only have to fear criminal prosecution, they are also subject to civil lawsuits. As the current case of Mr. D. shows, the threat of serious consequences for movie thieves is not merely theoretical, it is very real."

Oliver Weyergraf, head of Internet security for eBay, said, "eBay is very interested in eliminating illegal activity on the eBay marketplace. We co-operate very closely with all copyright owners and the proper authorities to pursue cases like these."

Dr. Elke Esser, managing director of the Zukunft Kino Marketing GmbH and the person responsible for the “Movie thieves are Criminals” campaign, had this to say: “The fine of 16,500 euros is just the beginning. The criminal sentence has yet to be handed down. And it may very well mean a jail sentence, as a movie thief from the area of Quedlinburg found out just last week. These punishments make it clear that that our slogan ‘Movie thieves are Criminals’ is not just empty words. Action will be taken, and the GVU works continually to uncover violations of copyright laws.”

About the GVU
The German Federation against Copyright Theft (Gesellschaft zur Verfolgung von Urheberrechtsverletzungen e.V., GVU) works on behalf of the film industry and the entertainment software industry. Within the network of international anti-piracy organisations, it strives to protect intellectual property, curtail the distribution of illegal copies, and reduce the economic damage done by file-sharing.

Copyright theft costs these industries several hundred million euros each year. That is why more than 80 companies and associations are now members of the GVU. Since 1984, a team of legal, forensic and technical experts has been assisting law enforcement agencies (e.g. police, public prosecution authorities and customs) and making its expertise available to decision-makers in the political and business communities.