Industrial and Commercial Property (Protection) Act, 1927

Penalties for being in possession of pirated copies.

184.—(1) Every person who prints, reproduces, or sells or exposes, offers, or has in his possession for sale, any pirated copies of any musical work, or has in his possession any plates for the purpose of printing or reproducing pirated copies of any musical work, shall (unless he proves that he acted innocently) be guilty of an offence under this section punishable on summary conviction; and shall be liable to a fine not exceeding five pounds, and on a second or subsequent conviction to imprisonment with or without hard labour for a term not exceeding two months or to a fine not exceeding ten pounds: Provided that a person convicted of an offence under this section who has not previously been convicted of such an offence, and who proves that the copies of the musical work in respect of which the offence was committed had printed on the title page thereof a name and address purporting to be that of the printer or publisher, shall not be liable to any penalty under this section unless it is proved that the copies were to his knowledge pirated copies.

(2) Any member of the Gárda Síochána may take into custody without warrant any person who in any street or public place sells or exposes, offers, or has in his possession for sale any pirated copies of any such musical work as may be specified in any general written authority addressed to the superintendent of the Gárda Síochána for the district to which the authority relates and signed by the apparent owner of the copyright in such work or his agent thereto authorised in writing, requesting the arrest, at the risk of such owner, of all persons found committing offences under this section in respect to such work, or who offer for sale any pirated copies of any such specified musical work by personal canvass or by personally delivering advertisements or circulars.

(3) A copy of every written authority addressed to a superintendent of the Gárda Síochána under this section shall be open to inspection at all reasonable hours by any person without payment of any fee, and any person may take copies of or make extracts from any such authority.