February 26, 2008
Bloomberg Doesn't Want You to Fake Purse It
Photograph of Mayor Bloomberg proclaiming a counterfeit foods store closed in a raid of counterfeit good sellers by Bebeto Matthews/AP
Nothing says press conference like raiding a 32 stores in what the city dubs "Counterfeit Triangle" and hauling away over a $1 million worth of brand-name products. The raid, taking down stores in the area bounded by Canal Street, Walker Street and Centre Street, occurred in the early morning, with cops using bolt-cutters to gain entry and tractor-trailers to take the haul away Coach, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbanna, Dior, Prada, Rolex, Fendi, Burberry, Calvin Klein, Dora the Explorer and Oakley merchandise.
Mayor Bloomberg said, "Counterfeit goods cheat the City, consumers, legitimate business owners, and trademark holders and their proliferation is standing in the way of the revitalization of Chinatown...hey are sold by unscrupulous merchants that have been linked to money laundering operations." And Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said, "We need consumers to help us instead of burying their heads in the sand. No matter how 'victimless' a crime may appear, when you scratch the surface you are bound to find some unpleasant realities." Dudes, tell it to the tourists you're so desperate to attract - the #2 destination on their itineraries in where to buy a fake purse (#1 is Ground Zero, #3 is Century 21).
The NYPD and the Mayor's Office of Special Enforcement investigated the stores for two months and gained the cooperation of the estate of Vincent Terranova, which owns all the property where the counterfeit goods were sold. A year ago, the estate had agreed to "get rid of counterfeit sales and to allow a monitor to inspect their buildings.
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Good for today, but you all have a lot of work left
to do at the 28th street & Broadway area the bootleg
capital of the world called
locally "The Souk".or "Little Chad of bootlegia"
NYPD cameras that were installed
are useless as the hawkers of bootleg
stuff are right under that lampost where the camera
is located, "Great country America".
Will the most disgusting area of NYC be patrolled
by more than one police officer once or twice
a week?
umm i think counterfeit goods are exactly what is needed to revitalize chinatown. That and firecrackers. that oughta get the boom started.
I think counterfeit goods are exactly what is needed to revitalize chinatown. That and firecrackers. That oughta get things booming again.
This is nonsense. The people who buy fake LV and Prada etc., on Canal St., are not the people who actually buy the real deal. They can't afford it by a longshot. LVMH is one of the largest luxury brands on the planet - they aren't hurting. This is a waste of time for everyone. Mayor Mike, I'm one of your biggest fans, but the tax liability on this is nil, and we all know it.
What's really sad is the fact that people from the midwest come here, and load up on bootleg 'Luxury' goods and go home, pretending they are real. It's sad because the whole economic system is so out of wack, that folks believe having a Speedy somehow puts them into the rarefied air of the 'Rich People'. It doesn't, and it never will.
I hate those counterfeit motherfuckers. I was bell ringing for the salvation army in front of the mariott at times square (no joke) and these guys would surround us. The cops would come and they would scatter like roaches and be back right as the officers rounded the corner. We actually got more money by guilt tripping the tourists after spending money on that fake crap.
I think it's funny that the owner allowed it to happen. He gets soooo much money from them under the table. Now he's gonna have a ghost town and his investments will be ruined.
The designer companies aren't hurting but the real crime is that the bags are made by factories of children in China. But I guess you can argue that for everything else. =/
I read an article where the reporter busted a basement full of kids making counterfeit LV bags in China. The kids started throwing soda cans at them because they didn't have jobs anymore.
the worst part of this story that they don't tell you is that the cops have an abuse of power. Half the stores they raided did not sell counterfeit goods. Imagine if you are a law abiding immigrant and selling pots and antiques and then your store lock is cut by the police and your store is raided and they flip over everything, find nothing and lump you with the rest of the counterfeiters and you can't say a thing about it cause you are trying to become a citizen. I feel bad for those people. and the whole "they support terrorists" is bullshit cause if you spend money in a cab you are supporting terrorists. Bloomberg just wanted a photo op. They do this every couple of years. if they really wanted to stop counterfeiting they'd go after the guys in the street selling the stuff out of suitcases and garbage bags. But that takes too much work. They'll be back tomorrow.
Everyone, even in the midwest knows they're not real, especially when Mom and the three daughters all show up at the local K-Mart with LV bags hanging off their arms.
Everyone, even in the midwest knows they're not real, especially when Mom and the three daughters all show up at the local K-Mart with LV bags hanging off their arms.
If there's any place I'd like to see new condos being built would be on Canal - the pedestrian traffic is just ridiculous. Anyhow, this latest roundup is a good first step...
FINALLY!
Thank you Mayor Mike! Yet another logical and efficiently planned out decision. I just hope you stay on top of it. Seeing these counterfeiters everywhere from Canal Street to Rockefeller Center is as much of an eyesore as graffiti (not to be mistaken by street art, which I can appreciate to varying degrees).
You are still my pick for President! Please run.
I wish those merchants would booby trap their stalls for instances such as this. what a waste of manpower. only this was the first time I've see the dickless midget do a press conference.
this sounds like something the RIAA and MPAA would do.
Most of designer stuff is completely garbage. It's sad how people think by owning fancy clothes and pocketbooks makes them a better person than anyone else.
Counterfeit foods store?
Maybe if you rented a few of those storefronts, you could open up a new club (since the city seems so intent on shutting those down too.)
This, along with nearly all of the city's other raids, are stupid.
I'll never understand the attraction of counterfeit goods. Just who do they think they're fooling? If I can't afford the real thing -- be it electronics, clothing or whatever -- I wouldn't want something cheap that just looks like it.
West Side Michael (#1) is right on. The area around 28th and Bway is proliferate with African counterfeiters. It is one of the most disgusting parts of Manhattan and could use a good scrub.
Speaking of 28th and Bdwy, has anyone ever noticed a plaque there commemorating the strip as what was once known as Tin Pan Alley - unless I am mistaken?
I bought a "Chopard Happy Diamonds" watch which I love on Canal a few years ago. Who needs or can afford to spend big bucks on the real thing? ...besides Bloomberg. I'm not trying to fool anyone. Just like its look. As for those who want to clean up Canal (and the 6th Ave./28th area)...you must not be real NYers. Many of us would like to keep some grit in the city ya know. Condos on Canal??!! Please NO! (...but I get a bad feeling when I see that there's now a Sleepy's on the corner of Canal & Bway.)
Tin Pan Alley....yup.
http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/era_overview.asp?eraId=2
Tin Pan Alley....yup.
http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/era_overview.asp?eraId=2
you saw that, too????
that used to be Pearl River Mart and now it's a Sleepy's.
I like my Armitron watch from Canal street. I see lot's of women buy their pepper spray from Canal Street.
Yeay, finally some relief for Gucci. Damn those people who knowingly sell fake bags to those who knowingly buy them and could never afford the real thing. Think of the poor Gucci!
Yeay, finally some relief for Gucci. Damn those people who knowingly sell fake bags to those who knowingly buy them and could never afford the real thing. Think of the poor Gucci!
long live the counterfieting...one of too few examples of subsversiveness in otherwise regulated and bland city.
Indeed! capitalism for a chosen few- make way for the corporate giant! gentrification-- anyone, anyone.
( propoganda as usualllll)
I'm sorry... Coach, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbanna, Dior, Prada... Dora the Explorer?
Adding to what Pharmer said above, the bust on counterfeits is a positive since these "goods" are often made by children in third world countries living in slave-like conditions.
Of course, the bust is also good for the luxury brands. Although the people buying the fakes could never afford the real stuff, it dilutes the brand name since those wealthy enough to afford them are less likely to buy a logo accessory that many can purchase for a fraction on a street corner.
they should leave them alone, nobody who buys the fake ones could afford a real one. let people have fun. alot of tourist go there to buy the fake ones are doing it for the thrill of buying a fake one.
such waste of my tax dollars. they should go after real criminals not after easy soft targets.
Hate to be a snob dudes, but if you can't afford it, don't bother wearing it. Long ago, the goods you possessed were all about status and sometimes how much you've come along, unless if you were old money. Now we have tons of wannabes and aspiring trashy socialites and the name IS being diluted. A lot of people aren't aware into the craftsman ship when they are made sold directly from the design house. There are artisans and craftsman that we need to consider. But why does LVMH make so much? They are a vast empire and a good chunk of that comes from perfumes, wines, and cosmetics. In the big picture, they have companies ranging from Donna Karan, Marc Jacobs, Givenchy, Celine, to Sephora, Fresh Cosmetic, Benefit Cosmetics. We don't even know where these fake bags are made exactly. There are more ethical implications in selling and buying fake goods. All I have to say is, way to go Mr. B.
personally, i cant stand these people. especially the ones who have the nerve to come right up to you and scream 'DOLCE, CHANEL, GUCCI, YOU WANT BAG?!?!" right in your face. Ugh.
yeah 1 million dollars worth of goods, but mike just took away 10 million dollars worth of business from the Chinatown economy. Thanks for giving the tourists fewer reasons to visit Chinatown.
The loss in tax revenue is not so much that a person will buy a knockoff instead of the real thing, but rather that they would be spending that money on something else which would generate tax revenue.
If you are not concerned with IP rights for the brandowners, you should at least read up on where the money spent on counterfeit items goes. It's pretty alarming, in my opinion. For example, the first World Trade Center bombing was partially funded by the sale of counterfeit merchandise. I'm not a HUGE fan of Bloomberg, but this is something I support him on.
Tourists definitely like bargain shopping in Chinatown. Some of them even come to the city solely to get the latest counterfeit Prada bag.
Four of us went down there yesterday and shot a little video of some friends from Texas that were a little disappointed at Bloomberg for putting a damper on their shopping getaway. You should watch it, it's pretty funny.
http://rosaleenortiz.net/2008/02/28/chinatown-after-counterfeit-raid/