A Pembroke man who was originally given a one-year suspended jail term for offering pirate DVDs for sale had the jail term reduced to six months on appeal.
Godwin Manché, 34, was originally given a one-year jail term suspended for two years. He had also been found guilty of breaching copyright at Supersound, in Paola on and before February 13.
Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono noted that the first court had not considered Manché's clean criminal record and the fact that he filed an early guilty plea.
He ruled that in this case he felt that Manché deserved a lesser punishment.
However, the judge added, this modern-day crime was becoming more and more common to the detriment of Malta's commercial reputation and for this reason the punishment should still serve as a deterrent.