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Many of you may have come across these numbers on the internet, some of you may not have. For the uninitiated, these numbers generally appear in a disclaimer like this:
If you are affiliated with any government, police, anti-piracy group or other related group or working for Adidas, Manolo Blahnik, Converse, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Burberry, Hermes, Prada, Air Jordan, Nike, Timberland, Gucci, Cartier, Oakley either directly or indirectly, or any other related group, or were formally a worker, you CANNOT enter these web pages, links, nor access any of its files and you cannot view any of the HTML files. If in fact you are affiliated or were affiliated with the above said companies, by entering this site you are not agreeing to these terms and you are violating code 431.322.12 of the Internet Privacy Act signed by Bill Clinton in 1995 and that means that you CANNOT threaten our ISP(s) or any person(s) or company storing these files, and cannot prosecute any person(s) affiliated with this website.
It all sounds so very official but, there is no such thing. The privacy policy 431.322.12 does not exsist and never has existed. To find such sites all you have to do is enter the search term: 431.322.12 followed by just about any named brand. Example: 431.322.12 Louis Vuitton.
According to U.S. Customs statistics, in fiscal year 2009, 14,841 seizures of counterfeit and pirated goods with a total domestic value of $260.7 million were intercepted at U.S. ports of entry.
The total domestic value of counterfeit products seized presenting potential safety or security risks seized was $32 million. Pharmaceuticals were the top product in this category.
China continues to be the number one source country for counterfeit and pirated goods seized in fiscal year 2009, accounting for 79 percent or $204.7 million of the total seizure value.
For the fourth year in a row, footwear was the top product seized, accounting for 38 percent of the entire domestic value of IPR (intellectual property rights) infringing goods. Jewelry appeared on the top products list for the first time, accounting for four percent of the total domestic value of IPR seizures.
These companies that ship counterfeit goods to the U.S. operate in the open. Chinese authorities do little to curtail such activity because it is such a big part of their economy. For just about every well-known product, there is a company making counterfeits.
A while back I spoke with a representative from one of the major designer jean labels. They explained that they couldn't tell me how to spot a fake but said if they had a pair in their hands they probably would know the difference. Probably? Now, if a company representative can't tell you what differences to look for what chance does the consumer have? You must be on the lookout for sites that may be selling fake designer clothes. Most designers have a department that monitors online auction sites and tries to identify websites that are selling knock-offs. But, with the internet being so vast it is very difficult to catch every offender. So if you see a site that displays the aforementioned bogus disclaimer, look somewhere else!