Seizures and discoveries last week include a festive one by the US Customs and Border Protection officers, which yielded more than 31,000 counterfeit Christmas lights… Elsewhere in the US, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents seized 13,000 items of fake luxury goods worth over $250,000… In India, a massive raid took place that impounded over 157,000 pirated DVDs… In the UK, counterfeit clothes, jewellery and toys were seized in a number of raids.

Cases and outcomes last week include in Australia, a case being bought by the movie industry against iiNet, an ISP, for allegedly allowing people to illegally download pirated films over the network… In a similar case in the US, movies studios are suing three websites, accusing them of facilitating online movie piracy… Software manufacturer Symantec has been awarded $12 million in damages against a distributor that was illegally selling counterfeit Symantec software throughout the US… Two companies in the UK have been ordered to pay £145,000 for using unlicensed, pirated software in their offices.

Policy developments last week include in the US, the Recording Industry Association of America deciding to no longer pursue its strategy of filing large numbers of lawsuits against individuals for alleged music piracy… Plans to tackle internet piracy in the UK may make ISPs legally liable for pirated music and movies downloaded by their customers, in new proposals being considered by the government.

The BASCAP digest team wishes all readers a very merry and fake-free Christmas.