The city is looking to pass a law which would see buyers face a prison sentence or fine of $1000 dollars if caught buying fake products, the State Journal reports. New York council member Margaret Chin, the promoter of the bill, said that the counterfeit marketplace saw the city lose at least one billion dollars in tax revenue a year. With other criminal activites such as child labour and organised crime linked to the fake industry, she said that people needed to know that ‘if you engage in this activity you are committing a crime.’
Not everyone supports the move with businesses fearing it will hurt businesses and others believing that it would be difficult to enforce. The next hearing for the bill has not yet been scheduled.
Email your news and story ideas to: [email protected]
