NEW YORK -- The next time you visit New York City and try to buy a fake Louis Vuitton purse, it could land you in jail. The push comes from a New York City councilwoman who wants to make it illegal to buy, not just sell, the knockoff designer bags.
City Councilwoman Margaret Chin is introducing a bill that would make it criminal to buy designer knockoffs. If it becomes law, buyers could face up to a year in jail or a $1,000 fine.
Chin tells the New York Post she doesn't want New York to be known as a place to get counterfeit goods. If the bill is passed, she plans to make sure there are plenty of signs warning buyers to stay away from the fake goods.
As you might imagine, people are already sounding off on this story online. One person writes, "FAKE HANDBAGS......This is what your wasting Taxpayer dollars on.......you should be run out of office! This is PATHETIC!"
Another says, "...the counterfeit industry also funds an incredibly huge network of factories around the world (and in NYC) that exploit workers, some of which are far too young to be working to begin with..."
And yet another thinks, "It would be impossible for everyone to be arrested and it would cause chaos in our jail system."
Have you ever bought a fake bag off the street? Do you think it should be illegal to buy them? Is it even possible to post enough signs to inform people about the law if passed? Would the punishment fit the crime? Leave your thoughts below.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this article.
