While walking about after lunch around Chinatown, I came across a sign board on the busy main thoroughfare there. It said that sales of pirated VCDs and DVDs is illegally and strictly prohibited and punishable by X amount of fine and Y amount of jail time or both. It sounded threatening and scary. It reminded me of those sign boards we see at the various entry points into the country on drugs trafficking is punishable by hanging and blah blah blah.
It's true that those pirated stuff is no longer on display for sales on the little carts or stalls along the street. Well, not visibly so anyway. If you actually wander around long enough, there'll be people approaching you, offering you the latest releases from Hollywood to Bollywood. Gone were the days when the sellers were actually hollering alound the latest flicks available and how they guarantee the video and audio quality. Back then they had screen test right there and then, and even allowed refund.
Meanwhile there are knock offs of virtually anything and everything branded: LV, CK, DKNY, AlX, and whatever acronyms there are. I even saw the limited edition designer tree hugger hand bag This-is-not-a-Plastic-Bag! The knock off version of shoes, shirts, shades, bags and etc are all showcased shamelessly under the broad daylight.
Well, aren't those piracy and infringement of IP too? Why aren't anything being done about that?
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1 comment:
yes, you are right, those are IP infringement as well. and they do enforce the law in a sense, there are raids conducted on the shops storing all these goods actually. but as to why are the bags etc are still on the street, i have no idea!
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