New York partner Heather McDonald was quoted in a July 20, 2009 China Daily (US Edition) article, "The Bag Ladies of Chinatown."
According to the article, the counterfeit luxury goods industry in New York continues to thrive, with Chinatown as the destination for buyers looking for fake designer handbags, watches, jewelry and wallets, among other items.
McDonald, who specializes in intellectual property enforcement and anti-counterfeiting litigation, works closely with the police in New York and Los Angeles, and has been on hundreds of raids in both cities. McDonald said that selling tactics for fake handbags and goods is not for faint-hearted buyers. She recalled instances in New York where buyers were marched as far as eight blocks, then down an alley and into a dank basement. "When you finally get in to the locked room, the vendors have turned the lights off, and women (buyers) are sitting there in the dark, being told to stay quiet." If there is police activity on that block, the sellers may decide to lock the doors and turn off the lights. McDonald said there had been many shoppers caught for hours in a basement. On the street, and down alleys, she worries for their safety because they are carrying cash, and could get robbed.
According to the article, many deals in New York are now also being done in vans. Interested buyers are shown cards on the street, then led to a van that is circling, or parked nearby. Inside, the vans are jam packed with handbags. "The customer can climb in the back of the van and sometimes it will be locked," said McDonald. "If the police come they will drive off. Buyers have been stuck in the van."
McDonald, who has been actively involved in drafting new legislation in New York to strengthen penalties for those caught trafficking in counterfeit goods, thinks the soft economy may be encouraging more buyers of fake goods.
Click to read the full article from the China Daily (US Edition) website.