Have you ever been tempted to buy a knock-off or faux label souvenir when traveling? Many look like the real thing…until you look closely.
Still, I see them all over the place when traveling. Chanel or Dolce and Gabbana bags on the streets of Florence, Mickey Mouse or Rolex watches on the street corners in New York, designer scarves and sunglasses in so many places.
Did you know that the real labels are subject to U.S. copyright and trademark protections? What does this mean to you as a traveler? Your purchase could be confiscated by customs. If you only have one item, they may grant you an exception and let you keep it. But, they don’t have to. And…you only get one exemption every 30 days.
Just something to think about when you’re pondering the price of that high end bag, sold by a young kid who’s looking over his shoulder for the cops.