In December, I went to Washington D.C. to visit my best college girlfriends. While sitting at lunch over a big salad and a tall glass of water, somehow the subject of fake handbags came up. It quickly turned into a spirited debate. You see, my dear friend is an attorney. One who studied intellectual property and copyright. She read me the riot act when I asked, "What's the big deal? Who is it really hurting when you buy a fake."

She broke it all down for me and I said to myself "That sounds like a pretty decent story." And thus the idea for this series was born. Once I started asking around I found that Louisville Police were actually forming a task force to combat the issue of counterfeits. Some people told me police should be using their time and energy for other major crimes. But crime is crime. And at the end of the day, they get paid to fight it.

Officers gave me some statistics about the effects of counterfeiting. Officers say counterfeiting is responsible for the loss of more than 750,000 jobs. Conterfeit cosmetics and toiletries have grown into a $210 million dollar business in the Gulf region. The World Customs Ogranization estimates that 70 to 80 percent of the profits from counterfeit goods from the Asia Pacific region are used to finance organized crime and terror groups. It's a long journey from the production of fakes to the streets of New York, Chinatown and Louisville. Those who sell fake goods to the average person often don't even know where the merchandise is coming from. A long string of people are involved in the distribution. But the bottom line is it's all illegal, both buying and selling.

1 Comments

Christy said:

I was just curious as to who the two licensed Louis Vuitton dealers were in KY. If anyone could give me some info back on that, I'd appreciate it.

February 24, 2008 4:56 PM

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