AN East Yorkshire man from a village outside Goole has been sentenced for producing and selling counterfeit music products and ordered to pay more than £21,000 in court costs.
Marc Kearns, of East Cowick, appeared at Hull Crown Court on June 11 and was sentenced following a complex investigation led by East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s trading standards service.
Kearns created and distributed CDs containing unauthorised remixes of well-known tracks, using copyrighted sound recordings without permission from the rights holders.
The court sentenced him to 26 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, and ordered him to complete 250 hours of unpaid work.
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Councillor Lynn Healing, cabinet member for communities and public protection at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: "We are dedicated to tackling criminal activities and protecting legitimate businesses.
"Counterfeit and unauthorised goods undermine fair trading and can generate significant illicit profit.
"We will not hesitate to take robust enforcement action where offences are identified, and this sentence sends a clear message that such activity will not be tolerated."
The council was also awarded full prosecution costs of more than £21,000, and the court ordered the destruction of all infringing music products.
The case required significant technical expertise and took several years to investigate, with trading standards working closely with national partners.
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