I’m currently in Venice, Italy but there’s no escaping references to China. The city is swarming with teams of African guys selling fake designer handbags on the narrow streets, often right outside shops they are ripping off, such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton. But rumour has it that it is illegal to purchase counterfeit products in Italy (or at least in Venice) and there are signs outside big name stores like Gucci warning tourists and locals alike that they risk harsh penalties should they be tempted to buy a fake bag for a fraction of the cost of the original.
I was wondering if perhaps, by some small chance, these signs were the handywork of some of the designer shops, peeved that their not insignificant margins are being threatened by cheap imitations. That was until I saw THIS sign:
Now the first sign could have been a friendly warning to ignorant tourists who were unaware of the local laws on purchasing counterfeit goods, but this second sign is just a blatant and pathetic attempt to use guilt to discourage people to buy the fake products.
Yes, China is a major source of fake products, but I’d have to say that I doubt they are made by underaged slave labour – or at least, no more so than the legitimate products!
Shame on you Gucci / Prada / LV etc. If you didn’t make about 5000% margin on your products, perhaps more people would consider buying them instead of the cheaper versions.
October 1st, 2007 at 12:00 pm
It looks as if the production of the extremely third-rate signs exploited child labour in Italy!
October 1st, 2007 at 12:07 pm
Funny, I was so busy analysing the content of the signs, I never noticed the “look what I made at playschool” look and feel of them! And I am wondering if those same people were responsible for the story about an American tourist who was sent to prison for buying aforementioned counterfeit bags.