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Hi-techpirate escapes prison
A MAN caught selling pirated computer software at a Leeds sports centre has escaped jail.
Father-of-four Waseem Malik, 40, was arrested at a Red Rats computer fair at Rothwell Sports Centre, Leeds Crown Court heard.
Police and trading standards officers seized 1,000 disks, of which 431 were found to be counterfeit.
The disks, on sale at the fair in September 2007 for 5 to 10, included pirated software from Microsoft, Adobe, Quark, Sage and Coral.
Prosecutor James Lake said if Malik had sold all the items he would have earned around 6,000.
But the predicted estimated loss to the computer software industry could have been as much as 420,000.
When police raided Malik's home they discovered a professional set-up for making pirated software including copying towers, blank disks and master copies of the disks on sale at Malik's stall.
Handing him a 12 week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, Recorder Neil Davey told Malik: "You must know pirating software is the scourge of the technological age."
Malik must also complete 200 hours unpaid community work.
Malik, of Chadwick Street, Rochdale, had admitted 19 offences contrary to the Trademarks Act. He has three previous convictions for similar offences.
A confiscation hearing will be held later this year.
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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