By Alexa Magdalenski
ROME, Dec. 3 - How much would you pay to be trendy? How does 10,000 euros for a stylish purse sound?
It probably wouldn’t sound so appealing if you knew the purse wasn’t
really made by your favorite designer and that 10,000 euros you were
paying was actually a fine for participating in an illegal activity.
Welcome to the world of knock-off goods.
Recently Rome and the rest of Italy introduced tough new measures to cut down
on the production and distribution of counterfeit goods including purses,
sunglasses, and technology.
According to an October study by the Italian Commerce Confederation, Italy is the leading producer of
counterfeit goods in Europe. The market here is indeed strong.
In 2007, 16 percent of the public acquired
some kind of counterfeit goods in Italy, the study reveals. These sales are affecting
commerce and crime statistics; the money isn’t going back into the Italian economy nor to the actual designers.
In fact, the world beyond the glitz and glamour of Prada bags and Gucci
sunglasses is much darker and grimier. Anti-fraud officials say the money from these bags is used to finance crime rings, drug trafficking,
illegal immigration, and even prostitution.
A May 2005 law was put into place to crackdown on the
exchange of counterfeit goods, targeting the dodgy vendors and their customers. If caught buying these goods, it will cost you: a 10,000 euro fine is the price.
John Cabot University student Carla Pellegrini, 20, was shocked by the risks, saying, “I had no idea that it was illegal to
buy those purses, I mean you see it happen all the time and I don’t
think many people have any idea of where that money is going.”
Even the US State Department warns travelers to Italy there's a stiff price in buying counterfeit goods.
It is evident an increased police presence around tourist areas like the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain has cut down on the number of vendors selling these goods, but it takes a proactive shopper to not give into the endless bargains that await them on the streets of Rome.
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