The internet is full of counterfeit and replica goods.  Yes, and ebay is too.  There are a lot of criminals selling fakes and they know it.  The Chinese sites say they are selling authentic items but it is not true.  You may think, what's the big deal if I just buy of few knock off Louis Vuitton bags or Ed Hardy shirts?  Here are 9 reasons why a good person should not:                                                          

1)    Violation of US Federal Law

It is a violation of US Federal Law to sell counterfeit goods.  By buying these counterfeits you are making these criminals multi millionaires

2)    Embarassment & Reputation

Those who have the genuine goods can usually spot fakes.  Poor stitching, bad logos, and shoddy craftsmanship are all tell tale signs.  Those that don’t know or can’t afford the real thing don’t care.  But those respected in society with money and power can often tell you have a fake.  This is costly to your reputation and business.

3)    Doing business with criminals & terrorists

The 1993 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York City was partly financed by profits from trafficking in counterfeit clothing.  If you buy counterfeits, you are helping organized crime or terrorists who want to hurt America. 

4)    Package Seizure, Fines, Duties

The majority of counterfeit goods come from Asia and especially China – countries that do not respect our intellectual property laws.  US Customs is vigilant and runs operations with the intellectual property owners to seize fake goods.

5)    Child Labor

The criminal counterfeiters know they are breaking US and International laws and you can bet they are just as likely to break child labor laws.

6)    Poor Service

Do not expect any customer service and no returns

7)    Poor Quality

You pay for quality when you buy a Louis Vuitton bag.   Does it make sense to pay $50 for a cheap bag from China that may not arrive, may be seized, and has bad quality that won't look good after a year?  Or, pay $500 for the real thing and pass it down to your children.  Counterfeiters are only concerned about profits and produce poor quality goods to increase their profit margins.

8)    Costs us all

If you buy counterfeits, you make everyone pay more.  It hurts the real trademark owners by decreasing their profits and increasing their labor and production costs in implementing anti-counterfeiting measures.  Moreover, companies must foot the bill for their own lawyers and legal costs in protecting their intellectual property and pursuing court actions against the perpetrators.  

9)    Government Burden and Taxes

Counterfeiters put a strain on our Customs and other law enforcement agencies.  Also, our whole society loses by losses from lost tax revenues. 

Thank you for reading and PLEASE SAY YES if you liked this guide :)