Six stores selling DVDs in Toronto and Montreal surrendered last March 7 and 8 over a thousand pirated DVDs of ABS-CBN content. Included in the enforcement effort were the following stores: Bulacan Fashion, Bon-Bon, Waynes Collectibles, a store at 23 Glen Watford Drive in Dragon Centre, Universe Communication Ltd. in Oriental Centre, and a store located at 6057 Victoria Avenue in Montreal, Quebec.
ABS-CBN AVP and Head of Global Anti-Piracy Elisha Lawrence remarked: “ABS-CBN partners with the top DVD manufacturers to manufacture DVDs of our movies that give customers the best viewing experience possible. The stores were selling poor quality copies of ABS-CBN’s movies which tarnish our customers’ viewing experience and damage the ABS-CBN brand. In addition, Canada is robbed of the taxes it deserves as these stores sell these DVDs for cash and pay no taxes to the government. Everyone are losers if this isn’t stopped.”
ABS-CBN North America Head of Sales & Distribution Ray Olano stated: “With the zero tolerance policy of our ABS-CBN Global COO Raffy Lopez, we will continue to go after these stores throughout Canada that sell pirated DVDs of our content or illegitimate boxes streaming our content.”
David S. Lipkus of Kestenberg Siegal Lipkus LLP, Canadian counsel for ABS-CBN said: “The distribution and sale of pirated copies of ABS-CBN’s intellectual properties will not be tolerated, and these enforcement activity efforts send a signal to all Canadians that ABS-CBN will enforce their copyrights under the laws of Canada.”