Over $4 million in pirated goods seized in Los Angeles

[News_Editor]

Over $4 million in pirated goods seized in Los Angeles

2010-12-23 16:38:19 GMT+7 (ICT)

LOS ANGELES (BNO NEWS) -- The Los Angeles Anti-Piracy Task Force has seized over $4 million worth of pirated goods during a raid, the city's largest anti-piracy operation in history, officials said.

Along with ten arrests during "Operation Chimney Sweep", the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) seized a total of $4.06 million worth in counterfeited music CD's, movie DVD's and clothing and accessories such as handbags, sunglasses, and other goods.

"People who make counterfeit goods are stealing, plain and simple, it's the same as picking someone's pocket or shoplifting," said Councilwoman and City Controller Wendy Greuel, who chairs the Anti-Piracy Task Force.

"We lose more than 100,000 jobs and billions of dollars to our economy each year because of these crimes. During these difficult economic times, every dollar lost to piracy represents wages lost for hardworking Angelenos. This should serve as a wake up call, not only to the criminals that produce and sell these illegal goods, but to all of the holiday shoppers out there. Piracy is serious business, but we are determined to sweep it out of Los Angeles," Greuel added.

During the 2010 holiday season, under the leadership of the Anti-Piracy Task Force, dozens of officers - along with investigators from private industries - launched massive raids throughout Los Angeles, making arrests and seizing millions of dollars of pirated movies, music and apparel.

Since its inception in 2004, the LAPD's Anti-Piracy team has served 181 search warrants, made 498 arrests and seized $93.8 million worth of illegal goods. When you combine the LAPD and the LA Sheriff's Departments numbers over the past five years, there have been over 700 arrests made and more than $305 million worth of counterfeit goods seized.

The Los Angeles Anti-Piracy Task Force was formed in February 2007 to combat the crippling impact to the Los Angeles economy of the counterfeit goods trade. Worldwide piracy disproportionately harms the entertainment and creative industries based in Los Angeles.

Counterfeit goods cost Los Angeles County businesses $5.2 billion in lost revenue annually, plus $2 billion in losses for the retail sector, according to a report released by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC).

The LAEDC report also says piracy costs the Los Angeles economy jobs across nine sectors for a total of $4.4 billion in lost wages each year.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2010-12-23

[floridaguy]

what does this have to do with Thailand?

[metisdead]

what does this have to do with Thailand?

This topic is in the World News Forum.

[TAWP]

"People who make counterfeit goods are stealing, plain and simple, it's the same as picking someone's pocket or shoplifting," said Councilwoman and City Controller Wendy Greuel, who chairs the Anti-Piracy Task Force.

No, it isn't. But don't expect greedy people to understand it...

[LaoPo]

"People who make counterfeit goods are stealing, plain and simple, it's the same as picking someone's pocket or shoplifting," said Councilwoman and City Controller Wendy Greuel, who chairs the Anti-Piracy Task Force.

No, it isn't. But don't expect greedy people to understand it...

I agree but Wendy only sees one side of the medal.

The real greedy ones are the companies and designers who produce at extreme low price levels and advertise their products as if it is pure gold or diamonds and sell their products at ridiculous prices.

I could give many examples but I suppose everybody knows.

It's quite simple actually...have a look in any Ladies' magazine and look who the BIG advertisers are....only they can afford those ads since their profits are so immense and huge.

They feel flattered if others are copying them but at the same time scream from the roofs that it's costing them money.

Bull and nonsense...since the fake products' buyers can't possibly buy and/or afford the originals. I can show you a Japanese website where they sell original Ladies Handbags for $ 5.000 up to 20K and 25K per piece.....another cookie with your tea perhaps ?

No wonder they're copied.....

But more and more the western companies are being protected now by Customs agencies all over the world whilst courier services are more and more into stopping fake products to be shipped (made in Asia) if there's no original manufacturing invoice.

I know they make fake invoices too but (China) DHL and UPS know where the original factories are and are not so easy to be fooled anymore.

The nets are closing in.

LaoPo

[koheesti]

I don't buy the whole "lost revenue" line. It might be true to a point, but not nearly as much as they like to claim. For example, I used to buy pirate CDs years ago. The cost was about 1/5 of the real thing. The music industry wasn't losing a penny because I was only buying because it was cheap.

They make it sound like people have only two choices;

1) Buy the cheaper pirated goods

2) Buy the higher priced authentic goods

But there is a third choice;

3) Don't buy it at all.