Russia’s anti-piracy forces have uncovered the country’s largest ever pirate DVD factory, according to the Motion Picture Association. Capable of producing 100 million DVDs a year, the scale of the operation has surprised the authorities, which had been completely unaware of its existence until last week, reports Sam Andrews.

Located at the former Leningrad Pipe casting plant in the Kolpino district of St Petersburg, the pirate replication plant was initially investigated by the Russian Anti-Piracy Organisation (RAPO) before the Ministry of Interior’s Economic Crime Department took over the case.

Raided last week by officers from the local Tax Police with the support of RAPO investigators, nine DVD lines were seized along with 10 DVD stampers and around 60,000 pressed pirate discs. Further investigations found another 140 stampers along with 50 tons of polycarbonate and a computer concealed within the roof space of a workshop. Experts estimated that the equipment installed at the plant was worth around €30 million. Business documents were also recovered.

The MPA said it was estimated that the plant had the capacity to press 100 million discs a year and it was believed that it had been operational for more than six months.

Prior to its discovery, the largest illegal DVD manufacturing site in Russia was found in Pushkino, near Moscow, which contained three DVD lines.

Stating that the industry had scored a great success in the battle against piracy, RAPO Director Konstantin Zemchenkov paid tribute to the police.

“This could not have been done without the commitment of the police officers involved especially those from the MOI’s IP Department No 28,” he said. “The film industry, both in terms of our local industry which has been revitalised over the last two years and the international industry has to be defended against those who would unscrupulously exploit the creative efforts of others.” (Source: cueentertainment).

Story filed 11.03.07