Trade in fake goods 'costing hundreds of jobs'

Hundreds of jobs have been lost in Northern Ireland because of counterfeit goods flooding the market, it was claimed today.

David Martin, Director of Anti-Piracy at the British Phonographic Industry, said scores of independent record shops were going out of business because of the trade in illegal CDs, videos and DVDs.

“It is the small shops that are going out of business. They can’t compete against pirates who have no overheads.

“I can’t quantify the number of jobs lost in Northern Ireland but it certainly must amount to hundreds of jobs,” he said.

He was speaking at the launch of a Government campaign urging the public not to buy counterfeit goods this Christmas.

Security Minister and Chair of the Organised Crime Task Force Jane Kennedy reminded the public that buying fake products was directly benefiting paramilitaries in Northern Ireland.

“Don’t line the pockets of these criminals. If you don’t know the origins of the products you are buying, then don’t buy them.

“When you are purchasing counterfeit goods this Christmas you are assisting paramilitary organisations.”

Meanwhile, Ms Kennedy appeared to rule out the recommendations of a House of Commons Committee calling for the lowering of the rate of duty on fuel in Northern Ireland.

The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee argued that reducing the difference in prices between the North and the Republic could help cut off a significant source of paramilitary funding.

The minister said the British government would study the report.

“The shift away from a unitary tax system for the whole of the UK would be a very major step to take,” she said.

“I am not convinced that doing that for one product in Northern Ireland would necessarily impact upon the organised criminals who would simply adapt their operations to some other form of profit-making.

“This is a debate that will go on and we will study the report in detail,” she added.