Hot Topic – Designer Knock-offs
This has proven to be the overwhelming favored topic of my peers. I confess that even when I posted it I had some feelings of it being a ‘fluff’ topic. But, the truth is, it does really concern me. While imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, when it is costing an industry billions of dollars annually, and even more importantly further feeds sweatshops, child labor, and probably even worse situations of abuse, it is no longer just about “intellectual property”. According to ebay, “To give you an idea of the size of the counterfeit industry....just the items that can by tracked.....it is at least TWICE the size of Wal-Mart. When you consider the amount of counterfeiting that is not trackable, that number is very modest. The counterfeiting industry costs $300 billion in the US annually, $500 billion worldwide.” Those are staggering statistics! I am also befuddled by the number of comments I read online by bloggers who resented what designers charge for their goods, but felt adamant about wanting to buy the fake. If they truly feel that the designs are not worthy, why do they buy them in any form? Why don’t they simply buy the comparable Macy’s-own-label variety? Why hate the designer and at the same time want a handbag with their name on it? The more I research the topic, the more I understand the appropriateness of the adjective “hot”.
Hi Debbie, I'm right there with you. It seems like a fluff topic inasmuch as it's become a fact of life. It's ongoing, and Americans in general seem content with accepting the contradictions you mention. Then, when you get into the details of the problem, it is, as you say, "staggering." One wonders how designers get up some mornings when you consider that they're in the business of making money for people other than themselves. The knock-offs people accept as a kind of compromise are at least as trendy at this point as the originals--they certainly sell more, er, copies? I look forward to seeing what you find out, even if it turns out to be a redefinition of what is (or should be) a "hot" topic.
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