Mexican Feds Raid Pirates In Mexico City
The ESA is sitting happy after two divisions of Mexican law enforcement, the Procuraduría General de la República and the Agencia Federal de Investigacion raided no fewer than four facilities dedicated to burning pirated copies of video games in Mexico City's infamous Tepito area. Over 500 officers seized 290 DVD/CD burners, 28,800 illegal copies of games and over 900,000 jewel case inserts. That's a spicy pirate!
ESA senior VP Ric Hirsch explained the scope of the problem:
"Mexico is an important market for ESA members due to the enormous popularity of entertainment software."
"Unfortunately, Mexico also has an alarmingly high rate of game software piracy that by our estimates reaches 88%. We are very grateful for the efforts of PGR, its Specialized Unit on Investigation of Crimes Committed against Industrial Property and Copyrights (UEIDDAPI), the prosecutors that were assigned to this case, and AFI in attacking the sources of pirate video games circulating in Mexico City markets, as such enforcement actions are the best way to reduce high levels of game piracy."
This is good news for the ESA, whose challenge is always to prove its status as a two-way guardian of the video games industry, and sends a very real message to career pirates who make their living pressing and trafficking unlawful game copies.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 17, 2008
CONTACT:
Dan Hewitt
202.223.2400
dhewitt@theESA.com
Mexican Law Enforcement Raids Pirate Game Facilities in Mexico City
ESA Applauds Protecting Legitimate Computer and Video Games
Washington, DC - March 17, 2008 - The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) commended the Procuraduría General de la República (PGR) and the Agencia Federal de Investigacion (AFI) for their recent raids of four facilities involved in burning pirate copies of video games in the notorious Tepito area in Mexico City. Working with local representatives of the ESA, over 500 law enforcement officers raided the four pirate game duplication facilities and three other storage locations, seizing roughly 290 DVD/CD burners, 28,800 illegal copies of video games and more than 900,000 video game cover inserts.
"Mexico is an important market for ESA members due to the enormous popularity of entertainment software," said Ric Hirsch, senior vice president for Intellectual Property Enforcement at the ESA, the trade association representing U.S. computer and video game publishers. "Unfortunately, Mexico also has an alarmingly high rate of game software piracy that by our estimates reaches 88%. We are very grateful for the efforts of PGR, its Specialized Unit on Investigation of Crimes Committed against Industrial Property and Copyrights (UEIDDAPI), the prosecutors that were assigned to this case, and AFI in attacking the sources of pirate video games circulating in Mexico City markets, as such enforcement actions are the best way to reduce high levels of game piracy."
The Tepito market is one of the most popular shopping areas in Mexico City and is a local center of black market activity, including the manufacture and sale of pirated computer and video games. ESA and its local counsel have been investigating pirate game traffickers in Tepito for several months. The raids and seizures highlight the ready availability of pirated entertainment software product, making it extremely difficult for legitimate game retailers to earn a profit.
The ESA is the U.S. association dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of the companies publishing interactive games for video game consoles, handheld devices, personal computers, and the Internet. ESA members collectively account for more than 90 percent of the $9.5 billion in entertainment software sales in the U.S. in 2007, and billions more in export sales of entertainment software. For more information about the ESA, please visit www.theESA.com.
###
tiny dancer
Posted to Miscellany on 17 March 2008
· Comments (3)
Other stuff like this: esa, mexico, mexico city, pirates
Name: Dave
Curious— I wonder which titles were the most duped. Still, 88% is an incredible amount.
I might sound like an idiot right now, but 88% is the rate of what again? I feel like I'm getting the s = d/t without the t part.
"Unfortunately, Mexico also has an alarmingly high rate of game software piracy that by our estimates reaches 88%."
My translation of this is that 88% of games circulating south of border are pirated, but I have been known to misinterpret numbers :D