UK Police make the largest-ever crackdown on fake LP production, with a Luton raid amassing 6,500 counterfeit records.
If you’re an avid vinyl head like myself, you may have come across a fake LP in your travels – I sure have.
My suspicious ‘Yeezus’ vinyl still sits tightly in my collection to this day. But over in the UK, PIPCU are making sure illegal bootlegs and counterfeits are being put to an end.
On April 22, the UK’s Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) seized 6,498 counterfeit records during a raid carried out in the town of Luton, Bedfordshire.
It’s estimated the overall retail value of the haul amounts to £259,920 – that’s about $470,000 for the Australian brains out there.
The investigation was carried out in collaboration with the British Phonographic Industry’s (BPI) Content Protection Unit.
The raid was conducted at an unnamed premises, and there has been no further information about potential suspects or charges.
Despite this, the announcement of the bust was clearly aimed at sending a message.
PIPCU’s Detective Sergeant Jamie Kirk stated, “This operation sends a clear message that the sale of counterfeit goods will not be tolerated and highlights the impact that strong partnership working can have in tackling intellectual property crime.”
Peter Ratcliffe, Director of Content Protection at the BPI, went on to say, “The vinyl revival means that there are sadly criminals trying to take advantage and cash in through counterfeiting.
Like all illegal markets, this doesn’t just damage our UK music industry – it potentially impacts every one of us as citizens, as these ill-gotten gains often fund other forms of criminal activity.”
In addition to this raid, the BPI has also tackled the digital front, stating that between 2020 and 2024 it removed over 100,000 infringing listings from online marketplaces.
It’s safe to say, if you’re after an ‘interesting’ vinyl for your collection, you might have a harder time finding one in the United Kingdom.
For the original LinkedIn post from PIPCU and images from the raid, check out the link below.
