The pirates off the coast of Somalia are not the only pirates operating in our world. In fact, there are illegal activities that occur in our country that we probably all participate in.
One of the most familiar examples of pirating occurs in the world of music and movie DVDs. We have probably all purchased a copy of one of our favorite recording artists or new movies that we know have been illegally copied and sold. People simply do not see paying five dollars to a street vendor as breaking the law or a violation of copyright. The truth is, copyright infringement in Canada is subject to a one million dollar fine or five years in jail or both. Lawbreakers are seldom charged and as a result purchasing pirated DVDs is considered a “minor” and unimportant offense.
In the Bahamas, the local video store sells two kinds of pirated videos. If it is a preview copy of a studio produced film it sells for six dollars: if it is a copy made with a hand held video recorder, often disturbed by shadows of people walking in front of the camera, it is discounted to five dollars. On one of my recent trips to pick up a video (for a friend) the customer ahead of me was a uniformed police officer buying his weekend movie selections. So much for law enforcement!
Another big pirate industry today involves ladies designer handbags. Some very expert copies of purses by Gucci, Matt and Nat, Coach, Bentleys, or Dooney and Bourke are found in abundance in the local straw markets. They all look quite authentic, are very inexpensive and may last one season before the color fades and the handle pulls off. But you get what you pay for and pirated purse designs are big business.
I learned of the most unusual pirate activity when I lived in Turkey. In Turkey there are twenty TFZs – Trade Free Zones, in which foreign investors help set up a local factory, using local raw materials and local workers. The company gets many tax breaks as they provide the local economy with jobs, and a large cash infusion.
I am aware of an American company that was making Hilfiger brand clothing in the Turkish city of Ismir. Every item brandished the famous logo and possessed a label that read “Made in the USA”. I find it hard to understand how a clothing line make with Turkish cotton, by Turkish workers, in a Turkish factory and then exported to America can carry a “Made in America” label. If this is not a blatant example of dishonesty and a kind of piracy I don’t know what is.
When Billy Bumpkin, a conservative banker in Idaho, buys his next Hilfiger dress shirt carrying the Made in USA label, he might think he is Buying American, but he is not. And this dishonesty is not only completely legal but it is a very profitable business practice.
It helps me justify buying my latest pirated movies for five dollars!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment