TWO men involved with counterfeit CDs have been convicted by Bury magistrates.

The court heard that Paul Frankland, of Herbert Street, Radcliffe, was caught after Bury trading standards officers carried out checks at a car boot sale.

Although the CDs that Frankland was selling bore the registered trade marks of international renowned companies such as Playstation, Microsoft and Virgin, they were in fact fakes.

He pleaded guilty to 14 offences under the Trade Marks Act and was sentenced to a 180-hour community penalty order and ordered to pay costs of £482.22. All items seized were forfeited.

Also appearing before the court was David King of Shaw Street, Bury, who pleaded guilty to 41 offences, under the Trade Marks Act when he admitted making and selling counterfeit CDs.

The fakes bore trade marks belonging to Playstation and also a variety of music industry companies and included CDs by the Oasis, Queen, Simply Red and Robbie Williams.

King was sentenced to 240 hours of community service with £1,700 costs. All the items of hardware and software used to make the counterfeits were also confiscated.

Bury Metro's Trading Standards Manager, Peter Jagger, said: "In Trading Standards we take the issue of counterfeiting very seriously. While on the face of it consumers may seem to be getting a bargain, in fact they all too often receive shoddy and inferior goods. "

"At the same time untold damage is done to the companies concerned, undermining their good name and affecting their revenue and their ability to invest in new products or support up and coming musicians. Last year counterfeiting cost the North-west about £750 million and resulted in around 1,000 jobs being lost to local people. Car boot sales are seen by some as an easy way to pass off counterfeit goods. They are regularly attended by officers from this authority, and action is taken against offenders. If you have any information about people making or selling fake products please ring Trading Standards on 0161 253 5566 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."

TWO men involved with counterfeit CDs have been convicted by Bury magistrates.

The court heard that Paul Frankland, of Herbert Street, Radcliffe, was caught after Bury trading standards officers carried out checks at a car boot sale.

Although the CDs that Frankland was selling bore the registered trade marks of international renowned companies such as Playstation, Microsoft and Virgin, they were in fact fakes.

He pleaded guilty to 14 offences under the Trade Marks Act and was sentenced to a 180-hour community penalty order and ordered to pay costs of £482.22. All items seized were forfeited.

Also appearing before the court was David King of Shaw Street, Bury, who pleaded guilty to 41 offences, under the Trade Marks Act when he admitted making and selling counterfeit CDs.

The fakes bore trade marks belonging to Playstation and also a variety of music industry companies and included CDs by the Oasis, Queen, Simply Red and Robbie Williams.

King was sentenced to 240 hours of community service with £1,700 costs. All the items of hardware and software used to make the counterfeits were also confiscated.

Bury Metro's Trading Standards Manager, Peter Jagger, said: "In Trading Standards we take the issue of counterfeiting very seriously. While on the face of it consumers may seem to be getting a bargain, in fact they all too often receive shoddy and inferior goods."