Sale of Counterfeit Goods Escalates During Holiday Season
With the economy's slow recovery and the proliferation of counterfeit goods available to consumers, it is no wonder that the sales of sports merchandise and luxury goods increases dramatically during the holiday season. Consumers are looking for a bargain, and the makers of counterfeit goods know it. Recently, Chicago police seized between $250,000 and $500,000 of apparel and accessories with the Chicago Bears and Chicago Blackhawks logos. The manufacturer and distributors did not have the license to make the items with the sports teams' logos.
Overall, 2009 was a huge year for counterfeiters as well as police. U.S. law enforcement agents seized around $260 million worth of fake merchandise; around $100 million of which was reportedly in fake designer shoes.
Matters concerning fake merchandise is complicated by the fact that many Americans do not care that they are buying unlicensed goods. When the price is 1/3 to 1/5 of the regular price of the item, they are willing to sacrifice legality and quality.
Contact a Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney if you have been accused of making or distributing fake merchandise.