WWW. nicked for Internet pirate.

The first Internet pirate in the UK to be caught was tracked down after investigators used the World Wide Web to trace him to his home, a court heard yesterday.

Scott Doody ran a sophisticated duplication operation and used web sites to advertise software, which had been copied onto compact discs.

Customers were told to contact a PO box to receive a list of software, including business-related programmes and games, which could be bought at a fraction of High Street prices.

In what was believed to be a landmark case, Doody (32), of Kendal Rise Road, Rednal, admitted seven charges under the Trade Mark Act, at Birmingham magistrates' court yesterday,

His sentence was adjourned by the magistrates who said they were considering making a community service order.

Miss Lisa Morgan, prosecuting, said investigators from the Federation Against Software Theft gained access to a website where Doody was advertising.

They made a test purchase and received two compact discs which were counterfeit.

Inquiries revealed Doody was running a business from his home address and it was raided by police in October last year.

Officers recovered pounds 500,000 worth of equipment Doody had used to copy CD-ROMs on to blank tapes.

Doody told detectives he had been on the Internet for about three years but had been selling the pirated compilations for around pounds 20 each for just three months prior to his arrest.

Mr Stanley Short, defending, said the raid on Doody's home had been given a large amount of publicity and as a result of the stress of the case he had lost his job as a test engineer.

He said it was not a case of Doody making a large profit out of the pirating.

"It was really a hobby and no more than that. His behaviour was rather like a shambling amateur with no knowledge of the law" said Mr Short.

Last night, Mr Dennis Cronin, head of Birmingham Trading Standards, said he hoped the conviction would be a deterrent to other would-be Internet pirates.

"People think they can trade on the Internet anonymously and won't be found out. It proves we monitor it and if we do find counterfeit software for sale we will take action," he said.

No one was available for comment from the Federation Against Software Theft.

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Publication:	The Birmingham Post (England)
Date:	Aug 8, 1998
Words:	384
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