Entertainment
London court sentences man over large counterfeit vinyl scheme
A London man was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for illicit record manufacturing, Billboard reports.
The short version
- Rehan Ahmed was sentenced to three and a half years in prison after being convicted of copyright breaches and criminal property offenses.[Billboard]
- The operation, run under the name Phoenix of Vinyl in west London, manufactured fake albums by artists including Taylor Swift, Coldplay, and Kendrick Lamar.[Billboard]
- Police seized 18 tonnes of evidence, 2,791 records, and antique pressing machines after an industry referral.[Billboard]
- Police estimated the enterprise yielded over £2.7 million in profit between 2017 and 2024 through online sales.[Billboard]
Key facts
- Rehan Ahmed was sentenced to concurrent prison terms, with a maximum of three and a half years, for copyright infringement and acquiring criminal property.[Billboard]
- The counterfeit business operated under the name Phoenix of Vinyl from an Acton facility between 2017 and 2024.[Billboard]
- The Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit estimated that Ahmed generated approximately £2.74 million in profit.[Billboard]
- Law enforcement seized 18 tonnes of evidence in February 2024, including four 70-year-old pressing machines and 2,791 vinyl records.[Billboard]
- The illicit goods were marketed online on platforms including eBay and Discogs, violating copyrights associated with 108 artists.[Billboard]
What remains uncertain
- The total financial figures, including the £1 million operation value and £2,743,000 profit, are police estimates rather than independently audited sums.[Billboard]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.