Two Labradors Trained To Detect DVD Piracy
Malaysia’s reputation as an abuser of property rights such as movie DVDs. But this is swiftly changing because of an innovative canine unit that can actually detect the location of pirated materials!
Two specially trained Labrador Retrievers from Northern Ireland, Paddy and Manny, are the first dogs ever trained to sniff out the smell of chemicals used to produce DVDs.
Malaysia’s Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs will put the Labs to work early in April 2008. Last year, a team from the US Motion Picture Association (MPA) and Malaysian officials uncovered 1.6 million pirated DVDs worth an estimated $6 million dollars.The MPA donated $24,000 to purchase and train Paddy and Manny. Two-year-old Paddy came from a rescue shelter that removed him from an abusive environment. Year-old Manny came from a private Irish breeder. Although they cannot distinguish between pirated and authentic DVDs, they can detect large quantities of DVDs; pirated materials are shipped in bulk to illegal buying operations all over the world.
With talent and publicity, also comes danger. Two previous dogs being trained in DVD cache detection, Lucky and Flo, had a $29,000 bounty on their lives by DVD smugglers. Malaysian authorities are taking extra precautions to keep Manny and Paddy safe.
Meanwhile, the two Labs are becoming acclimatized to tropical weather and their new handlers before they go to work in warehouses, shipyards and airports. Malaysia is a long way from Northern Ireland!
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