Are you being knocked off?
Gina Barone
Issue date: 5/4/09 Section: News
The retail industry is a world of disposable income, where a high luxury item can run on average $2,000. In Hammond, Indiana and especially at PUC this concept of disposable income seems almost laughable. Yet one can walk down the halls of and easily spot brands such as Chanel, Gucci or Louis Vuitton clutched in the hands or thrown over shoulders of students. Many of these things are probably knockoffs.
Terrorism, slave labor, job loss and organized crime are all illegal activities that may be supporting when buying counterfeit merchandise. By purchasing a knockoff, not only are laws being broken, but the purchases contribute to a $600 billion annual problem. By contributing to the counterfeit activity, support is given to an industry that does not pay taxes, which in turn means less money for government, hospitals, and schools like PUC. The IACC (International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition) estimates that counterfeit merchandise is also directly responsible for the loss of more than 750,000 American jobs.
However the fashion industry is not the sole contributor to counterfeiting. Automotive parts, pharmaceuticals, food, software and even the entertainment industry are all affected by this growing epidemic. According to Gieschen Consultancy, a Canadian firm specializing in counterfeit-intelligence analysis, in 2005 the top 10 counterfeited brands were: 1. Microsoft 2. Nike 3. Adidas 4. Burberry 5. Louis Vuitton 6. Sony 7. Lacoste 8. Reebok 9. Viagra 10. Benson & Hedges.
According to the IACC, when buying a knockoff it is important to remember where the money is going and who will be affected. Factories that make counterfeits do not pay their employees fair wages or benefits, have poor working conditions and often use forced child labor. The profits of this industry have been linked to organized crime, drug trafficking and even terrorist activity. The purchases become part of a cycle in which money directly supports such activities, often unbeknownst to the consumer.
Terrorism, slave labor, job loss and organized crime are all illegal activities that may be supporting when buying counterfeit merchandise. By purchasing a knockoff, not only are laws being broken, but the purchases contribute to a $600 billion annual problem. By contributing to the counterfeit activity, support is given to an industry that does not pay taxes, which in turn means less money for government, hospitals, and schools like PUC. The IACC (International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition) estimates that counterfeit merchandise is also directly responsible for the loss of more than 750,000 American jobs.
However the fashion industry is not the sole contributor to counterfeiting. Automotive parts, pharmaceuticals, food, software and even the entertainment industry are all affected by this growing epidemic. According to Gieschen Consultancy, a Canadian firm specializing in counterfeit-intelligence analysis, in 2005 the top 10 counterfeited brands were: 1. Microsoft 2. Nike 3. Adidas 4. Burberry 5. Louis Vuitton 6. Sony 7. Lacoste 8. Reebok 9. Viagra 10. Benson & Hedges.
According to the IACC, when buying a knockoff it is important to remember where the money is going and who will be affected. Factories that make counterfeits do not pay their employees fair wages or benefits, have poor working conditions and often use forced child labor. The profits of this industry have been linked to organized crime, drug trafficking and even terrorist activity. The purchases become part of a cycle in which money directly supports such activities, often unbeknownst to the consumer.
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samueljaxon
Writing Companies
posted 2/09/10 @ 3:12 PM CST
Thanks for great news!
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