In the bad old days of pirates on the high seas (not the modern-day ones who prey on fishermen), there was a very clear connection between piracy and bullets.

It would seem that that connection still exists, the latest suggestion (if not outright evidence) being a raid which the police carried out on Spanish Town Road, St Andrew, on Friday.

It was reported in Saturday's STAR that some 53 persons were taken in for questioning as the security forces went after the Rat Bat gang in the Crescent Road, St Joseph's Road and Coal Lane areas.

This was after the death of Machine Man, who was killed last week by the police.

However, it is significant that it was also reported in the story that "an illegal DVD recording studio, with computers, DVDs and other equipment used in the pirating of DVDs, was also raided".

There is no doubt that there is a lot of money to be made in the piracy of intellectual property, including music and films. However, when people buy cheap, pirated material on the streets, they have no clue what they are contributing to.

It would seem that a lot of the money (and the police have said this before) goes towards funding activities which make the headlines in very bloody ways.

So those who support piracy should be aware that when they are nodding to the beat of a CD they bought on the streets or watching a bootleg film, what is entertainment to them may just be death to someone else.