To think that fake Hello Kitty watches are a waste of Police time

[AtoZandbackagain]

I?m watching a program about Trading Standards tracking down counterfeit goods and wondering if this really is a good use of taxpayers money.

Each operation the Trading Standards people go on seems to involve them having to don stab proof vests and have a large Police backup team with them, so they could confiscate some of the following counterfeit products:

Applie iPhone covers
Hello Kitty Watches
Trainers
TOMS shoes

I can understand the need for Trading Standards to keep dangerous items off the streets, such as toys that contain lead, faulty electrical goods etc. I simply cannot understand why the Local Authority and Police are being used to ensure that goods sold as a particular brand actually are that brand. For whose benefit is this being done? Your average buyer will know the cheap goods as not the real deal?? If not, caveat emptor.

All this expensive Trading Standards and Police raids and confiscations seem to be doing is making us taxpayers foot the bill for ensuring that luxury good manufacturers to have their brands protected at our cost.

And everyone of the rogue traders shown has come very quietly. Can't undertsand why one needed to be led away in handcuffs. Ridiculous.

YABU, fake goods fund crime. Dogs are skinned alive to make fake uggs. Cut the supply cut the demand.

Erm YABU. Trading Standards don't have the power of arrest afaik so the police will have to be present to arrest the culprit selling counterfeit goods.

YY, what notso said. It's not just to protect the proper makers' copyright, it's to stop people from using this as a means to fund other crimes.

yabu. The fake good sellers are thieves, no dIfferent than if someone came into your house and took something. It is just intellectual property they are stealing rather than something physical.

One other reason yabu is that fakes are often dangerous. Like using lead paint instead of more expensive lead free paint. You really don't want your kids to be wearing a watch covered in lead paint...you really don't.

YABU. Counterfeit goods can be lethal therefore its in our interests to have them arrested and charged.

Quite apart from the possibility of items being dangerous, and it funding crime, the brand owners need protection too.

Oh and handcuffs are pretty standard post arrest, you never know when someone will become non-compliant.

YABU. To add to the previous points made, counterfeit shop owners can earn vast amounts of money (cash in hand) and don't pay tax.

Yabvu, for all the reasons above.

People are placed in handcuff ford the saftey of those around.

No, it's not "caveat emptor" - thank goodness you don't run Trading Standards. YABVU.

YABVU.
For all the reasons above.

All this expensive Trading Standards and Police raids and confiscations seem to be doing is making us taxpayers foot the bill"

A far greater disadvantage to the taxpayer is the amount of revenue list through counterfeit and blac market products which fund crime and cost the public coffers millions a year