Dear Hillary,
It has been reported that the police have been destroying copy watches and T-shirts, CD’s and the like. Pictures of them being burnt in the street and all. They also had a front end loader driving over a Ferrari. Why is this? Everyone knows that you go to Asia to buy real bargains, even if they’re not the real thing. I always bring back a stack of watches and all the latest movies on DVD and some footy shirts for the blokes. What’s wrong with this? If I can’t get the stuff in Thailand any more, do you know where I can get them? I like Thailand, but I have to look at what I can take back to sell, to pay for the trip. What about the Philippines?
Copy
Dear Copy,
This is what they call a vexed question, Petal. How would you feel if you made some type of special sporting goods and your money came from selling them throughout the world and then you found that cheap copies were being marketed at half the price you sell them for, and you don’t get anything from that sale? That goes for boots, shoes, clothes and DVDs. Mind you, I think that many of these ‘designer’ goods are highly over-priced too. The whole question of copyright is well beyond me, I’m afraid. I’m just worried about getting landed with ‘copy’ champagne. As to where you can go to get the things you want – the markets here still have them I believe, but don’t tell the powers that be. Unless the powers that be are running the market! And the Philippines? I have no idea. And it is the Customs Department that destroys fake goods, or items where the duty has not been paid – like the sports car.
