Judge Gives Man 2 Weeks to Sell Video Store

The owner of a video store was given two weeks by a judge to shut down his business after federal marshals confiscated 1,387 pirated videotapes, authorities said Friday.

Rene Gonzalez, owner of Odalys Video at 896 S. Harbor Blvd., has until Jan. 3 to sell his business. If he does not, it will be shut down by authorities, according to an order handed down Thursday by U.S. District Judge Robert J. Kelleher.

The order also stated that Gonzalez had been caught renting pirated videos repeatedly in the past and will be sent to jail if he continues the practice.

Gonzalez could not be reached for comment Friday. But he admitted to the judge that he had rented pirated videos because of the bad economy, according to a statement issued by the Motion Picture Assn. of America.

The federal marshals were accompanied on a raid of Gonzalez’s store Thursday by representatives of MPAA, whose anti-piracy office conducted the investigation.

“We hope this will send a message to other video dealers who are doing this that they could lose their stores and be out of business,” said Tom Schell, a spokesman for the association.

Schell said video piracy causes the industry to lose more than $200 million in profits each year. Stores will buy the pirated versions of popular movies at a much cheaper price, which enables them to rent or sell them to the public at a price lower than their competitors.