I know, I know. It sounds ridiculous, but it isn't. Buying counterfeit merchandise is a heinous act: It should be considered as a heavy crime punishable by death! Alright, so I'm being wicked about this- and I'm not all that serious -but according to Cynthia Nellis, here is a good reason why buying fake high-end merchandise is a bad idea:
According to the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition (IACC) about 18% of the $98 million of counterfeit products seized by U.S. Customs in '02 were made up of fashion-related items: apparel, sunglasses, watches, handbags and headwear.
While it's not a crime to buy counterfeit merchandise (only to sell it), there are legitimate reasons why you should rethink your buying tactics according to the IACC:
1. Counterfeiting robs the U.S. alone of more than $200 billion a year. It's a cash, tax-free business; legitimate citizens like yourself will still get stuck paying taxes, while counterfeiters line their pockets at your expense.
2. Terrorists, gangs and organized crime syndicates all profit from selling counterfeit merchandise. Sometimes designer handbag knockoffs are lined with drugs and used for smuggling things like heroin, too. There is also evidence that the bombing of the World Trade Center in '93 was funded by the sale of counterfeit apparel...
See? Al-Qaeda is simply not satisfied with hijacking airplanes, planting car bombs, baking children, and what-have-you hither and yon... Terrorists are now hijacking the world of fashion as well, and as a concerned student of Fashion Design and Merchandising, I ask you to think twice before you sprinkle some good ol' money-love on that fake, demented-looking Marc Jacobs bag! You might not know it, but there's a chance that your hard-earned cash will aid terrorists and gang-members. So take a stand against al-Qaeda and their little mouselike rodent friends and get a real Marc Jacobs bag. (Delancey!!!)
Anyway, I found the Beyonce-falls-flat-on-her-face video. So worth watching. Don't get me wrong- I love her, but it was a monumental disaster waiting to happen! Anyone who shakes her booty that hard is bound to fall flat on her face. And you have to admit that that stuff is always funny. (But I still love Beyonce!!)
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