"Pashmina"-type scarves, ok. Fake LVs, Gucci etc. NOT ok.

LOL

I used to love going to Chinatown and buying my Art supplies, then going to Mott street and browsing the markets that sell the blue and white porcelains..then to lunch at Wo Hop.

<i>Thank you for reviving a nice memory :)</i>

<i>Wal-Mart's business isn't based on selling illegal or counterfeit goods.</i>

You were the one who used the phrase &quot;crime, sweatshops and exploitation&quot;. Now, I'm not speaking about Wal-Mart specifically, because I have no personal knowledge of their business practices, but personally, I'd rather buy a knock-off Kate Spade purse on the street (where the only &quot;crime&quot; is that the legislatire has decided Kate Spade can protect her &quot;name&quot; and thus her ability to charge high prices for her merchandise) than shop at a store or buy brands that are known to be exploitative or use sweatshop labor.

&quot;I'd rather buy a knock-off Kate Spade purse on the street (where the only &quot;crime&quot; is that the legislatire has decided Kate Spade can protect her &quot;name&quot; and thus her ability to charge high prices for her merchandise) than shop at a store or buy brands that are known to be exploitative or use sweatshop labor.&quot;

Given that it likely that the fake Kate Spade bag was produced by sweatshop labor and exploitation, you are being blindly inconsistent as well as stealing from Kate Spade and all the people who work from her.

dmlove, I don't mean to seem snarky but you should educate yourself on the counterfeit goods industry. I think what you'll discover is that buying a &quot;fake&quot; is much worse than even buying from a company known to employ sweatshop labor. It's not really about how much money Kate Spade can make.

Actually, I know all about it. And yes, I'd prefer to buy from manufacturers and vendors who don't exploit labor. But even assuming you're correct that buying a fake may be worse from that perspective, that is not why trademark laws exist. If trademark laws were intended to prevent exploitation of labor, I'd be more inclined to only buy trademarked goods.