Secretary of State has division for tracking down bootleg operations
WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - North Carolina's Secretary of State was on the campus of UNCW Tuesday for some campaigning, but had a lot to say about the damaging effects of piracy.
Several convenience stores in Wilmington sell bootleg copies of DVDs for a low cost, even though it is illegal.
The pirated DVDs at M&M Food Market at 7th and Ann Streets and at the SafeWay on Wilshire Blvd. were sitting in plain sight on the stores' counters. The clerk at the former said he didn't know it was against the law to sell the movies, while the clerk at the latter seemed to know exactly what she was doing and declined to comment when asked about the law.
State Secretary Elaine Marshall's office has a division for tracking down bootleg operations, but there are only two agents to cover the entire state. She said that buying illegal copies of anything, from DVDs to handbags, can do a lot more damage than what meets the eye.
"We have traced back counterfeit goods for supporting Al Quaida, terrorists, the mafia, it's well reported in gangs," said Marshall (D). "There's nothing about it that's positive. Everything about it is bad, it's bad for all involved."
Marshall said there are 50-60 others statewide working on this issue, including police officers, sheriff's detectives and private investigators.
According to the District Attorney's Office fines can range from $2,500 to $150,000. Marshall also added that offenders could face 2-5 years in prison.
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