ILLEGAL imported DVDs continue to be openly sold at Scoresby’s Caribbean Gardens & Market despite threats of police raids and fines of up to $5000.
The popular market in Ferntree Gully Road has been raided several times in the past with tip-offs that fraudulent goods were being sold.
When the Weekly visited Caribbean Gardens last week,at least four stalls were selling evidently pirated DVDs from overseas.
Several films still showing in cinemas, including Silver Linings Playbook, Les Miserables and Life of Pi were on sale advertised as ‘‘original imported DVDs’’.
The promotional material on the DVD cases was misspelt and poorly reproduced.
Three of the four DVD stands appeared to be run by the same group of people because of similar signage. Each featured hundreds of DVDs costing $10- $15.
Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft managing director Neil Gane said that previous operations at Caribbean Gardens resulted in sellers arrested, prosecuted and fined up to $5000.
‘‘The illegal sale of infringing DVD copies of films and television shows continues to impact communities, damaging neighbourhood cinemas and DVD stores and reducing the capacity to offer jobs to locals,’’ he said.