ESA, ESAC Congratulate Mounties On Piracy Bust

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the video game industry's trade body, and the Entertainment Software Association of Canada (ESAC) jointly issued congratulations to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) for its action against retail outlets offering pirated and counterfeit entertainment software for sale at Pacific Mall in Markham, Ontario. During the operation, which took place on July 13, the RCMP raided three stores in Pacific Mall, seized thousands of copies of pirated game software, and arrested one person implicated in the counterfeiting operation. Pacific Mall has been a high-traffic venue for the sale and purchase of counterfeit products, including illegal entertainment software, for some time. In April 2005, RCMP took action against a number of Pacific Mall outlets, though large amounts of pirated game product continued to be sold at Pacific Mall. “The continuing focus on Pacific Mall as a venue for the sale of illegal computer and video game software is an important enforcement objective of the entertainment software industry in Canada,” said ESA president Douglas Lowenstein,. “We greatly appreciate the efforts of RCMP in pursuing game piracy in this problem area.” The ESA and its members have had an active industry enforcement program in Canada since 2004. Working with local counsel and investigators, the ESA identifies instances of pirate activity involving game software and supports the efforts of Canadian law enforcement to address such illegal activity. “Game piracy in Canada has harmed the retailers of authentic game software in Canada,” said Danielle Labossiere Parr, Executive Director of ESAC. “We are grateful that the RCMP continues to target this criminal activity. However, as the Pacific Mall outlets were raided just over one year ago with little deterrent effect on the targets hit last week, it is clear that the severity of the penalties imposed in this case needs to be increased to include the imposition of a prison sentence in order to deter any future sales of pirate game software by Pacific Mall outlets and others engaged in the pirate trade.”