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Author Topic: Can't believe Paul Foster read on
David Guest
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1704
From: Lancashire, UK
Registered: Oct 2011


 - posted January 21, 2016 05:49 PM      Profile for David Guest     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
£100k fake DVD racket man jailed

A fraudster caught buying and selling bogus DVDs in a scam worth nearly £100,000 on ebay has been jailed.




Paul Foster imported fake box sets of hit TV series from China and delivered to his home in Penkridge.

He then sold thousands of the DVDs on the auction website without the necessary consent of trademark owners, Stafford Crown Court heard.
this was published in the express and star newspaper on 12th jan
type in google and read
Foster was reported to Staffordshire Trading Standards which searched the address in January last year and recovered 1,816 box sets - including 54 different titles - worth around £40,000.

Investigators trawled through Foster's emails which showed he had sourced the products from China and made orders totalling in excess of £8,500.

Via Ebay he recorded sales totalling around £60,000.

Mr Watkin told the court Foster arranged for some of the fake DVDs to be delivered to his unknowing mother-in-law and brother in an attempt to throw the authorities off the scent.

He said: "The defendant even attempted to negotiate a deal with his supplier in which he said if goods were seized by customs the supplier would have to bare 40 percent of the losses.

"Also interesting is the prices at which he sold the DVDs. They did not differ hugely from the price of legitimate DVDs. We sometimes hear that buyers knew they were getting a fake product, but this is not one of those cases."

Foster, who represented himself in court, said he only benefitted from up to £20,000 in profits from the goods.

"£40,000 of stock was taken away so I lost all of that. It was only £60,000 that I sold on Ebay and if you take off VAT and tax it comes down to around £15,000 or £20,000 in profit," he added.

Judge Mark Eades said: "You went into this operation with your eyes wide open and you did it out of greed. This was fraudulent through and through.

"It is not just the DVD and trademark aspects but you were also seeking to avoid import duty by having the goods misdescribed."

Prosecutors will now seek to reclaim some of Foster's profits under Proceeds of Crime legislation.

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John Richard Almond
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 103
From: England
Registered: Feb 2012


 - posted January 21, 2016 06:06 PM      Profile for John Richard Almond     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Play with fire and all that.

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Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012


 - posted January 21, 2016 06:29 PM      Profile for Andrew Woodcock         Edit/Delete Post 
Paul is, whatever the outside world views, a lover of our hobby and the film hobby in general.

The facts don't lie but nevertheless, this is very sad news in the era when it's impossible for ANY dealer to make a living from film and film alone!

Very sad news all around I'd say. [Confused]

One less in a UK which now has only three major players as it is!!

Very very sad day for all in our hobby!

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"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

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Tom Photiou
Film God

Posts: 4837
From: Plymouth U.K
Registered: Dec 2003


 - posted January 21, 2016 06:33 PM      Profile for Tom Photiou     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
yep, his movie shop on ebay is down, i just think the jail thing is way overkill, he's hardly a danger to the the public.

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David Guest
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1704
From: Lancashire, UK
Registered: Oct 2011


 - posted January 21, 2016 06:38 PM      Profile for David Guest     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I to was shocked when I stumbled on it on the net looking for something ,I have looked on ebay now but its all ended on there now I believe he has got 16 months jail its a long time .

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Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012


 - posted January 21, 2016 06:45 PM      Profile for Andrew Woodcock         Edit/Delete Post 
Thanks for sharing David. This was indeed sad news to us all albeit inevitable some might say.

A loveable rogue it would seem!

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"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

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John Hourigan
Master Film Handler

Posts: 301
From: Colorado U.S.A.
Registered: Sep 2003


 - posted January 21, 2016 06:47 PM      Profile for John Hourigan   Email John Hourigan       Edit/Delete Post 
Regardless of format, you don't mess with copyright and trademarks.

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Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012


 - posted January 21, 2016 06:48 PM      Profile for Andrew Woodcock         Edit/Delete Post 
As is proved here john sadly.

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"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

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Douglas Meltzer
Moderator

Posts: 4554
From: New York, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003


 - posted January 21, 2016 07:02 PM      Profile for Douglas Meltzer   Email Douglas Meltzer   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
A reminder....this Forum has a "no discussion of politics" rule.

Three posts have been deleted.

Shocking to hear about Paul.

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I think there's room for just one more film.....

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Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012


 - posted January 21, 2016 07:06 PM      Profile for Andrew Woodcock         Edit/Delete Post 
Indeed Doug!!

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"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

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Mark Todd
Film God

Posts: 3846
From: UK
Registered: Aug 2003


 - posted January 21, 2016 07:17 PM      Profile for Mark Todd     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Hope Paul is OK as he can be, and in an open or OK-ish place.

Best Mark.

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Larry Arpin
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 953
From: Sunland, CA, USA
Registered: Dec 2006


 - posted January 21, 2016 11:08 PM      Profile for Larry Arpin   Author's Homepage   Email Larry Arpin   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I hope they didn't confiscate the films but I suspect they did. I'm sorry to hear this happen.

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Jason Gronn
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 237
From: Boyne Island, Queensland, Australia
Registered: Sep 2013


 - posted January 22, 2016 01:15 AM      Profile for Jason Gronn   Email Jason Gronn   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I can't believe it, such a shame.
Only just received some 16mm films from him the other day.

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Mark Mander
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1236
From: Dunstable ,Bedfordshire.
Registered: Jan 2005


 - posted January 22, 2016 02:09 AM      Profile for Mark Mander     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I think it's a shame,hopefully he'll bounce back from this, Mark.

--------------------
Elmo GS1200 1.0 lens
Elmo ST1200HD 1.1 lens
Sankyo 800 1.0 lens
Elmo 16CL
Elf NT1

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Paul Barker
Master Film Handler

Posts: 395
From: Lancashire, England
Registered: Jun 2014


 - posted January 22, 2016 02:28 AM      Profile for Paul Barker   Email Paul Barker   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
really not supprised. i like many others had been sold a film from him not as described.his attitude left a lot to be desired when you complained about a film. i warned people on here but no one wanted to listen.the attitude of im alright jack from some collectors i found very sad indeed.

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Maurice Leakey
Film God

Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007


 - posted January 22, 2016 02:33 AM      Profile for Maurice Leakey   Email Maurice Leakey   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Despite it being Paul's first offence the Judge sentenced him to 16 months in prison.
http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2016/01/12/100k-fake-dvd-racket-man-jailed/

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Maurice

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Steven J Kirk
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 873
From: Southern England
Registered: Apr 2008


 - posted January 22, 2016 02:51 AM      Profile for Steven J Kirk   Email Steven J Kirk   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Oh dear, this is a bit of a shock. My dealings with him were always fine. I hadn't noticed that the ebay shop was gone.

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VistaVision
Motion Picture High-Fidelity

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Ferran Gimenez
Film Handler

Posts: 99
From: Barcelona, Spain
Registered: Mar 2008


 - posted January 22, 2016 03:02 AM      Profile for Ferran Gimenez     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
[Confused]
I can't believe it.

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Paul Barker
Master Film Handler

Posts: 395
From: Lancashire, England
Registered: Jun 2014


 - posted January 22, 2016 03:07 AM      Profile for Paul Barker   Email Paul Barker   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
yes he was such a great guy that he even decieved his partners mother and his own brother.whatever people thought he was, the truth of the man is out at last.

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Lee Mannering
Film God

Posts: 3216
From: The Projection Box
Registered: Nov 2006


 - posted January 22, 2016 03:22 AM      Profile for Lee Mannering     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I would believe it as the British legal system found said person guilty and now serving sentence of 16 months.

Personally the only thing I find sad about all this is its a blot on our beloved hobby.

[ January 24, 2016, 07:46 AM: Message edited by: Lee Mannering ]

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Jonathan Trevithick
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 569
From: Gold Coast Australia
Registered: May 2012


 - posted January 22, 2016 03:58 AM      Profile for Jonathan Trevithick   Email Jonathan Trevithick   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Being overseas, I always paid via Paypal Lee which is much safer. I must say that although not every film transaction i've had with Paul has been perfect, this is a total surprise.

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David Guest
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1704
From: Lancashire, UK
Registered: Oct 2011


 - posted January 22, 2016 04:14 AM      Profile for David Guest     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I was lucky to get my money back for a film I bought recently as I would have had to wait 16months for it I wonder how many are in a similar situation who had bought recently

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Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012


 - posted January 22, 2016 04:19 AM      Profile for Andrew Woodcock         Edit/Delete Post 
Knowing our judicial system here, he will be out by May anyhow David.

I just hope no one has any valuable items in limbo at the moment through all of this.

I tried phoning him only last week for some Filmguard, but I was surprised when repeatedly, I could get no answer.

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"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

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Dave Groves
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 508
From: Southend on Sea, Essex, UK
Registered: Feb 2015


 - posted January 22, 2016 05:46 AM      Profile for Dave Groves     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Not my favourite man. A Bowery Boys film had more spices than I thought possible in a film and other transactions haven't always proved satisfactory. I'd decided not to buy from him again. A number of his dvd customers were upset to find they had purchased copies and not originals and made no bones about airing their feelings of being ripped off. Sad that it happened to him but that's the risk you take when you get involved with dishonest means.

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Dave

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Tom Photiou
Film God

Posts: 4837
From: Plymouth U.K
Registered: Dec 2003


 - posted January 22, 2016 06:27 AM      Profile for Tom Photiou     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Putting the whole film dealership aside, i am just very surprised that this has ended in a jail term, at the end of the day he clearly did wrong but selling DVDs, "movies" TV programs" to me just ridiculous that they sent him to prison. Confiscate everything, fines but Jail? The things people do in this country that are so much more serious and they end up being let off or just given the pathetic punishment of community service.
I dont recall Bob Monkhouse going to jail when he was arrested for having 16mm films he shouldn't have had.
Utterly over the top.

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