Movie industry tries dogs to sniff out counterfeit DVDs

Movie industry tries dogs to sniff out counterfeit DVDs    Customs officials in the United Kingdom are using two trained sniffer dogs at FedEx Express’ hub at Stansted Airport near London to search packages for counterfeit DVDs, the Motion Picture Association of America said.
   The Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), a British trade association devoted to protecting the interests of the film and broadcasting industry against copyright and trademark infringement, has trained two black Labradors to identify DVDs as part of an effort to crack down on the sale of pirated discs.
   During the test period at the FedEx facility the dogs have successfully identified DVDs in packages entering the country, but have not found any illegal hidden shipments. Program officials hope the dogs will eventually be trained to signal only when there is a large bundle of discs, which are more likely to have been illegally copied for sale in the country than a single disc.
   “This is the first time dogs have been used anywhere in the world to search for counterfeit DVDs,” Raymond Leinster, director general of FACT, said in a statement. Dogs with a strong sense of smell are used by law enforcement agencies around the world to detect bombs, currency, agricultural products and humans in smuggling situations and searches.
   British business lost 278 million pounds ($518.7 million) to counterfeit sales of DVDs, according to FACT.