The BPI has expressed its gratitude to law officials after bootlegger Robert Langley was sentenced Aug. 30 at Glasgow Sheriff Court to 20 months in prison.
The U.K. trade association also praised Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page’s decision to give evidence in Langley’s trial.
Langley’s decision to plead guilty to two charges under copyright law and three charges under trademark law meant the expected five-week trial ended prematurely last month after just a few days. Page gave evidence early on in the trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court.
Langley has been sentenced to 20 months for the offences and the BPI says the prison term signals the end of one of Britain’s most prolific bootleggers.
“We owe a debt of gratitude to both Strathclyde Police and the Fiscal Service for putting this case together, and bringing this notorious bootlegger to justice,” BPI anti-piracy manager David Wood said in a statement.
“Jimmy Page’s decision to give evidence at the trial in person was instrumental in bringing this case to a swift and satisfactory conclusion and for that we owe him our most sincere thanks.”
The BPI added that while the illegal recording of live performances for sale was once the main area of music piracy, bootlegging has now been largely replaced by organized criminal gangs mass-producing replicas of genuine recordings or illegal compilations.
