The document discusses how major online marketplaces like eBay, Amazon, and Alibaba have unintentionally fueled the global trade of counterfeit products, which is now estimated to be the world's largest criminal enterprise worth over $500 billion annually. Online marketplaces have made it easy for counterfeiters to sell fake goods directly to consumers around the world without needing to meet suppliers in person. While the companies have taken steps to address the problem, counterfeiters are able to open new accounts and play a cat-and-mouse game that keeps the sale of fake goods ongoing and difficult to fully prevent.
The document discusses various topics related to digital citizenship including identity, privacy, credibility, participation, and ethics online. It provides perspectives from studies and experts on topics like social media use, cyberbullying, digital divides, and security and privacy risks. Throughout history, new technologies have both enabled opportunities and risks that society works to understand and address.
The document discusses some issues with how corporations and websites interact with consumers and users. It mentions how some companies have used fake people to promote themselves online or collect personal information from children without parental permission. The document also gives examples of consumer marketing campaigns that backfired when users took the opportunities to generate negative or unauthorized content instead.
McAfee's January 2010 spam report found that spam volumes increased in mid-December due to spam advertising discounted Pfizer drugs from Chinese websites. However, tougher domain registration laws in China may soon make it harder for spammers to operate there. Spammers also take advantage of free website hosting services to temporarily use their legitimate reputation before being blacklisted. The report analyzed the top celebrities featured in spam subject lines in 2009, with Angelina Jolie and Barack Obama being the most common individuals mentioned.
Three PR firms are caught running fake blogs to promote their clients. Edelman ran three blogs promoting Walmart but written by their own employees. Ruckus Network created a fake Facebook profile to collect 300,000 email addresses to market their company. A blog promoting a Sony PSP for Christmas was actually run by a PR firm hired by Sony, showing companies still try to trick readers with fake blogs despite the risks.
Week 5 protect yourself from cyber threatsRay Brannon
This document summarizes various scams and provides tips to avoid becoming a victim. It discusses how scammers take advantage of people's greed, fear, curiosity and more through phishing emails and social media. Common scams mentioned include lottery scams, romance scams, technical support scams, and free offers that require personal information. The document encourages people to be wary of unsolicited messages and to verify any requests for money or sensitive details by contacting organizations directly.
Freelancer.com is the biggest aussie company you've never heard ofSherief Razzaque
Freelancer.com is Australia's largest company that most people have never heard of. Founded in 2008 by Matt Barrie in a granny flat, it has grown to a $700 million company that connects freelance workers with clients online. It has around 9 million users and allows complex work like web design and accounting to be done remotely by workers in developing countries. Barrie predicted Freelancer will continue growing rapidly as online outsourcing of services increases globally in the same way Amazon and eBay grew for goods.
LIBEL LAWSUIT AGAINST LARRY SINCLAIR DISMISSEDVogelDenise
1) A federal judge dismissed a libel lawsuit against Larry Sinclair, who claimed in 2008 that he had sex and used drugs with Barack Obama.
2) The lawsuit was brought by Daniel Parisi, who had paid Sinclair $20,000 to take a polygraph test regarding his claims about Obama.
3) Sinclair's book asserted that Parisi and the Obama campaign rigged the polygraph results, but the judge ruled Parisi provided no evidence this claim was actually false.
The document discusses various topics related to digital citizenship including identity, privacy, credibility, participation, and ethics online. It provides perspectives from studies and experts on topics like social media use, cyberbullying, digital divides, and security and privacy risks. Throughout history, new technologies have both enabled opportunities and risks that society works to understand and address.
The document discusses some issues with how corporations and websites interact with consumers and users. It mentions how some companies have used fake people to promote themselves online or collect personal information from children without parental permission. The document also gives examples of consumer marketing campaigns that backfired when users took the opportunities to generate negative or unauthorized content instead.
McAfee's January 2010 spam report found that spam volumes increased in mid-December due to spam advertising discounted Pfizer drugs from Chinese websites. However, tougher domain registration laws in China may soon make it harder for spammers to operate there. Spammers also take advantage of free website hosting services to temporarily use their legitimate reputation before being blacklisted. The report analyzed the top celebrities featured in spam subject lines in 2009, with Angelina Jolie and Barack Obama being the most common individuals mentioned.
Three PR firms are caught running fake blogs to promote their clients. Edelman ran three blogs promoting Walmart but written by their own employees. Ruckus Network created a fake Facebook profile to collect 300,000 email addresses to market their company. A blog promoting a Sony PSP for Christmas was actually run by a PR firm hired by Sony, showing companies still try to trick readers with fake blogs despite the risks.
Week 5 protect yourself from cyber threatsRay Brannon
This document summarizes various scams and provides tips to avoid becoming a victim. It discusses how scammers take advantage of people's greed, fear, curiosity and more through phishing emails and social media. Common scams mentioned include lottery scams, romance scams, technical support scams, and free offers that require personal information. The document encourages people to be wary of unsolicited messages and to verify any requests for money or sensitive details by contacting organizations directly.
Freelancer.com is the biggest aussie company you've never heard ofSherief Razzaque
Freelancer.com is Australia's largest company that most people have never heard of. Founded in 2008 by Matt Barrie in a granny flat, it has grown to a $700 million company that connects freelance workers with clients online. It has around 9 million users and allows complex work like web design and accounting to be done remotely by workers in developing countries. Barrie predicted Freelancer will continue growing rapidly as online outsourcing of services increases globally in the same way Amazon and eBay grew for goods.
LIBEL LAWSUIT AGAINST LARRY SINCLAIR DISMISSEDVogelDenise
1) A federal judge dismissed a libel lawsuit against Larry Sinclair, who claimed in 2008 that he had sex and used drugs with Barack Obama.
2) The lawsuit was brought by Daniel Parisi, who had paid Sinclair $20,000 to take a polygraph test regarding his claims about Obama.
3) Sinclair's book asserted that Parisi and the Obama campaign rigged the polygraph results, but the judge ruled Parisi provided no evidence this claim was actually false.
Shawn'ta Kelly is applying for an adjunct faculty position. She has over 15 years of experience in education, including as a teacher, tutor, mentor, education advisor, and student manager. She has multiple master's degrees in fields like business administration, higher education, and leadership. Kelly is passionate about empowering others through education and believes her diverse experiences would make her a strong candidate for the position.
Rockfin is a Polish engineering company that specializes in designing, manufacturing, testing, and servicing liquid and gas systems for power generation and industrial equipment. They have experienced significant growth over the past few years and recently opened a new manufacturing facility. Rockfin offers comprehensive services from consultation through the entire life cycle of a project and has an international customer base spanning over 50 countries.
This document provides an overview of the challenges facing US submarine museums. It discusses the contributions of US submarines in WWII and how many were scrapped shortly after. It then outlines some of the financial, environmental, and legal issues facing modern submarine museums, including preservation costs, hazardous materials, and regulatory compliance. The document also discusses factors contributing to the success of some museums, such as location and community support, and failures of others due to mismanagement, neglect, or weather damage. It concludes by discussing considerations for preserving these historic vessels in the future.
The document provides an overview of concepts that will be covered related to demand and supply, including:
1) It begins with an introduction of the derivation of the demand curve from the perspective of individual consumers and their preferences between goods subject to a budget constraint.
2) It then discusses how the aggregation of individual demand curves results in the market demand curve.
3) The document outlines how understanding demand curves can help explain the functioning of competitive markets and determine the position and sensitivity of demand.
Most Important Essay For Css 2014. Online assignment writing service.Jennifer Pineda
The document provides instructions for creating an account on a writing assistance website and requesting help with an assignment. It outlines a 5-step process: 1) Create an account with an email and password. 2) Complete a form with assignment details. 3) Review bids from writers and choose one. 4) Review the completed paper and authorize payment. 5) Request revisions to ensure satisfaction, with a refund option for plagiarized content.
Harry Potter Fanfiction Essay. Online assignment writing service.Tammy Adams
The Mother's Day brunch dinner was held at Carol's house and attended by Carol, Mercedes, Shaunda, Whitney, Susan, Regina, Jeremiah, Kayden and Shirl. The menu included French toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, fruit salad and mimosas. The event celebrated motherhood and brought family together to enjoy a meal in honor of Mother's Day.
Marketing beyond Online: Virtual World OpportunitiesKay E. Strong
Virtual worlds present new marketing opportunities for companies like Coke, Disney, and Hollywood studios. The virtual economy is growing, with an analyst predicting $5 billion in non-subscription virtual item sales by 2011. Companies create virtual products for in-world consumption and market real products in-world. Consumers spend over $1.5 billion annually on virtual items. Popular virtual items include buildings, vehicles, clothing, and art. People buy virtual goods for the same reasons as real goods: to gain functionality, build relationships, and establish identity. Surveys find that females aged 25-34 and males aged 12-17 spend the most on virtual goods. The virtual world marketing industry is served by specialist firms.
Avery Marks A Lot Permanent Markers, LargTracy Morgan
The document discusses symbolism in Eudora Welty's short story "A Worn Path". It notes that symbols are used throughout the story to represent how characters feel and make certain people or objects stand out. It provides the example of the main character, Phoenix Jackson, who is symbolically compared to a phoenix bird known for its long life. The summary briefly conveys that symbols are an important aspect of the story that enhance its meaning and themes.
614 part 7 cases specifically (built in instant messagingAASTHA76
1. There should be a global standard for toy manufacturing to ensure child safety worldwide. Benefits include consistent safety levels and enforcement. Drawbacks could include costs of compliance for manufacturers and less flexibility for countries. Overall a standard would help prioritize child health over all others.
2. The US should place more emphasis on its relationship with China regarding toy exports since China manufactures 80% of US toys. The US could conduct more frequent and rigorous inspections of Chinese factories. It could also negotiate agreements with penalties if inspections find violations. Increased oversight would help ensure Chinese manufacturers follow safety standards.
3. All countries
Protect Yourself From Cyber Threats (v.2.0)Ray Brannon
This document provides warnings and information about various scams, including phone and internet scams. It discusses how scams work by exploiting human traits like greed, fear, curiosity and temptation. It provides statistics on identity theft and advises readers to be wary of unsolicited contacts, ensure strong passwords and privacy settings, and report any suspected scams to the proper authorities. Resources are provided for free credit reports and tools to help protect against identity theft and scams.
What Are The Different Types O. Online assignment writing service.Shannon Green
The document discusses the importance of tourism in India. It notes that India has a rich cultural heritage with many historical places like the Taj Mahal and forts. Tourism has brought India foreign exchange earnings and visitors since 2000. The passage also briefly summarizes the plot of the novel The Hungry Tide, which involves a foreign girl who visits India to research an endangered river and works with a local man as a guide. Tourism is important for India's economy and culture.
Good Ideas For Writing An Essay. Online assignment writing service.Natalie Taylor
The document discusses bone cancers such as osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma, outlining their symptoms of pain, tenderness, and decreased mobility, as well as treatment options and statistics. The two most common types of bone cancer are osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma, which share symptoms like pain in the bones and tend to develop in the arms and legs. Around 3,000 cases of bone cancer are diagnosed each year in the United States.
The document discusses various identity theft and cybercrime issues. It notes that identity fraud is at an all-time high according to a 2010 report. The rise of social media has created opportunities for identity thieves to target personal information from social networking profiles. One in three people have had their personal information lost or stolen this year. The document provides tips on protecting yourself such as using strong and unique passwords, changing them frequently, and being wary of phishing scams.
49 Photo Essay Examples Powerpoint Most Complete - ScholarshipSabine Perez
The document provides instructions for requesting writing assistance from HelpWriting.net. It outlines a 5-step process: 1) Create an account with a password and email. 2) Complete a 10-minute order form providing instructions, sources, and deadline. 3) Review bids from writers and select one. 4) Review the completed paper and authorize payment if satisfied. 5) Request revisions until satisfied, with the option of a full refund for plagiarized work. The document promises original, high-quality content to meet customer needs.
GRE Argument Essay Top 6 Strategies Sample Essay - Magoosh BlogShannon Olsen
The document provides instructions for creating an account and requesting writing assistance on the HelpWriting.net website. It involves a 5-step process:
1. Create an account with a password and valid email.
2. Complete a 10-minute order form with instructions, sources, and deadline.
3. Review bids from writers and choose one based on qualifications.
4. Review the completed paper and authorize payment if pleased.
5. Request revisions until fully satisfied with the original, high-quality content or receive a full refund.
The document outlines a simple process for students and writers to connect on the HelpWriting.net platform for assignment help.
16 Best Images Of MLA Bibliography Worksheet -Ann Montgomery
The Les family, consisting of mothers Haley and Ema, daughter Celeste, and son Dipper, have a total annual gross income of $111,986 from Ema's job as a biomedical engineer earning $62,986 and Haley's job as a product photographer earning $49,000; their monthly take-home income after taxes is $7,059.98, which they use to pay their mortgage, utilities, food, and other living expenses.
Columbia College Chicago Facing Declining Enrollment, Budget DeficitLori Head
The document provides instructions for how to request writing assistance from HelpWriting.net, including creating an account, submitting a request form with instructions and sources, reviewing writer bids and choosing one to complete the assignment, and authorizing payment upon being pleased with the completed paper. The site promises original, high-quality content and free revisions to ensure customer satisfaction.
Football Writing Paper, Lesson Plans - The MailboxCrystal Sanchez
The document discusses juvenile crime as the number one priority. It notes that juvenile crime and gang activity have been increasing, especially in Chicago where the murder rate is four times higher than New York City. While laws aim to prevent violence, crime continues, particularly among at-risk youth. Addressing juvenile crime requires finding solutions to help youth stay away from criminal groups and activities.
The document provides steps for requesting writing assistance from HelpWriting.net, including creating an account, completing an order form with instructions and deadline, reviewing writer bids and choosing one, and authorizing payment after reviewing and revising the work. The service offers original, high-quality content and refunds for plagiarized work.
Shawn'ta Kelly is applying for an adjunct faculty position. She has over 15 years of experience in education, including as a teacher, tutor, mentor, education advisor, and student manager. She has multiple master's degrees in fields like business administration, higher education, and leadership. Kelly is passionate about empowering others through education and believes her diverse experiences would make her a strong candidate for the position.
Rockfin is a Polish engineering company that specializes in designing, manufacturing, testing, and servicing liquid and gas systems for power generation and industrial equipment. They have experienced significant growth over the past few years and recently opened a new manufacturing facility. Rockfin offers comprehensive services from consultation through the entire life cycle of a project and has an international customer base spanning over 50 countries.
This document provides an overview of the challenges facing US submarine museums. It discusses the contributions of US submarines in WWII and how many were scrapped shortly after. It then outlines some of the financial, environmental, and legal issues facing modern submarine museums, including preservation costs, hazardous materials, and regulatory compliance. The document also discusses factors contributing to the success of some museums, such as location and community support, and failures of others due to mismanagement, neglect, or weather damage. It concludes by discussing considerations for preserving these historic vessels in the future.
The document provides an overview of concepts that will be covered related to demand and supply, including:
1) It begins with an introduction of the derivation of the demand curve from the perspective of individual consumers and their preferences between goods subject to a budget constraint.
2) It then discusses how the aggregation of individual demand curves results in the market demand curve.
3) The document outlines how understanding demand curves can help explain the functioning of competitive markets and determine the position and sensitivity of demand.
Most Important Essay For Css 2014. Online assignment writing service.Jennifer Pineda
The document provides instructions for creating an account on a writing assistance website and requesting help with an assignment. It outlines a 5-step process: 1) Create an account with an email and password. 2) Complete a form with assignment details. 3) Review bids from writers and choose one. 4) Review the completed paper and authorize payment. 5) Request revisions to ensure satisfaction, with a refund option for plagiarized content.
Harry Potter Fanfiction Essay. Online assignment writing service.Tammy Adams
The Mother's Day brunch dinner was held at Carol's house and attended by Carol, Mercedes, Shaunda, Whitney, Susan, Regina, Jeremiah, Kayden and Shirl. The menu included French toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, fruit salad and mimosas. The event celebrated motherhood and brought family together to enjoy a meal in honor of Mother's Day.
Marketing beyond Online: Virtual World OpportunitiesKay E. Strong
Virtual worlds present new marketing opportunities for companies like Coke, Disney, and Hollywood studios. The virtual economy is growing, with an analyst predicting $5 billion in non-subscription virtual item sales by 2011. Companies create virtual products for in-world consumption and market real products in-world. Consumers spend over $1.5 billion annually on virtual items. Popular virtual items include buildings, vehicles, clothing, and art. People buy virtual goods for the same reasons as real goods: to gain functionality, build relationships, and establish identity. Surveys find that females aged 25-34 and males aged 12-17 spend the most on virtual goods. The virtual world marketing industry is served by specialist firms.
Avery Marks A Lot Permanent Markers, LargTracy Morgan
The document discusses symbolism in Eudora Welty's short story "A Worn Path". It notes that symbols are used throughout the story to represent how characters feel and make certain people or objects stand out. It provides the example of the main character, Phoenix Jackson, who is symbolically compared to a phoenix bird known for its long life. The summary briefly conveys that symbols are an important aspect of the story that enhance its meaning and themes.
614 part 7 cases specifically (built in instant messagingAASTHA76
1. There should be a global standard for toy manufacturing to ensure child safety worldwide. Benefits include consistent safety levels and enforcement. Drawbacks could include costs of compliance for manufacturers and less flexibility for countries. Overall a standard would help prioritize child health over all others.
2. The US should place more emphasis on its relationship with China regarding toy exports since China manufactures 80% of US toys. The US could conduct more frequent and rigorous inspections of Chinese factories. It could also negotiate agreements with penalties if inspections find violations. Increased oversight would help ensure Chinese manufacturers follow safety standards.
3. All countries
Protect Yourself From Cyber Threats (v.2.0)Ray Brannon
This document provides warnings and information about various scams, including phone and internet scams. It discusses how scams work by exploiting human traits like greed, fear, curiosity and temptation. It provides statistics on identity theft and advises readers to be wary of unsolicited contacts, ensure strong passwords and privacy settings, and report any suspected scams to the proper authorities. Resources are provided for free credit reports and tools to help protect against identity theft and scams.
What Are The Different Types O. Online assignment writing service.Shannon Green
The document discusses the importance of tourism in India. It notes that India has a rich cultural heritage with many historical places like the Taj Mahal and forts. Tourism has brought India foreign exchange earnings and visitors since 2000. The passage also briefly summarizes the plot of the novel The Hungry Tide, which involves a foreign girl who visits India to research an endangered river and works with a local man as a guide. Tourism is important for India's economy and culture.
Good Ideas For Writing An Essay. Online assignment writing service.Natalie Taylor
The document discusses bone cancers such as osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma, outlining their symptoms of pain, tenderness, and decreased mobility, as well as treatment options and statistics. The two most common types of bone cancer are osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma, which share symptoms like pain in the bones and tend to develop in the arms and legs. Around 3,000 cases of bone cancer are diagnosed each year in the United States.
The document discusses various identity theft and cybercrime issues. It notes that identity fraud is at an all-time high according to a 2010 report. The rise of social media has created opportunities for identity thieves to target personal information from social networking profiles. One in three people have had their personal information lost or stolen this year. The document provides tips on protecting yourself such as using strong and unique passwords, changing them frequently, and being wary of phishing scams.
49 Photo Essay Examples Powerpoint Most Complete - ScholarshipSabine Perez
The document provides instructions for requesting writing assistance from HelpWriting.net. It outlines a 5-step process: 1) Create an account with a password and email. 2) Complete a 10-minute order form providing instructions, sources, and deadline. 3) Review bids from writers and select one. 4) Review the completed paper and authorize payment if satisfied. 5) Request revisions until satisfied, with the option of a full refund for plagiarized work. The document promises original, high-quality content to meet customer needs.
GRE Argument Essay Top 6 Strategies Sample Essay - Magoosh BlogShannon Olsen
The document provides instructions for creating an account and requesting writing assistance on the HelpWriting.net website. It involves a 5-step process:
1. Create an account with a password and valid email.
2. Complete a 10-minute order form with instructions, sources, and deadline.
3. Review bids from writers and choose one based on qualifications.
4. Review the completed paper and authorize payment if pleased.
5. Request revisions until fully satisfied with the original, high-quality content or receive a full refund.
The document outlines a simple process for students and writers to connect on the HelpWriting.net platform for assignment help.
16 Best Images Of MLA Bibliography Worksheet -Ann Montgomery
The Les family, consisting of mothers Haley and Ema, daughter Celeste, and son Dipper, have a total annual gross income of $111,986 from Ema's job as a biomedical engineer earning $62,986 and Haley's job as a product photographer earning $49,000; their monthly take-home income after taxes is $7,059.98, which they use to pay their mortgage, utilities, food, and other living expenses.
Columbia College Chicago Facing Declining Enrollment, Budget DeficitLori Head
The document provides instructions for how to request writing assistance from HelpWriting.net, including creating an account, submitting a request form with instructions and sources, reviewing writer bids and choosing one to complete the assignment, and authorizing payment upon being pleased with the completed paper. The site promises original, high-quality content and free revisions to ensure customer satisfaction.
Football Writing Paper, Lesson Plans - The MailboxCrystal Sanchez
The document discusses juvenile crime as the number one priority. It notes that juvenile crime and gang activity have been increasing, especially in Chicago where the murder rate is four times higher than New York City. While laws aim to prevent violence, crime continues, particularly among at-risk youth. Addressing juvenile crime requires finding solutions to help youth stay away from criminal groups and activities.
The document provides steps for requesting writing assistance from HelpWriting.net, including creating an account, completing an order form with instructions and deadline, reviewing writer bids and choosing one, and authorizing payment after reviewing and revising the work. The service offers original, high-quality content and refunds for plagiarized work.
Dawn Ellmore looks at trade mark infringements and trade warsDawn Ellmore
Levi's is suing two Chinese companies for trademark infringement of its signature arcuate stitch design on jean pockets. This comes as trade tensions are rising between the US and China. Levi's has successfully defended this trademark in China before and is now seeking damages and destruction of infringing products from these companies. As intellectual property theft costs the US billions annually, the US is intensifying efforts to address China's IP issues through tariffs and other measures. How these disputes play out could significantly impact global trade relationships.
The document discusses steps to request writing assistance from HelpWriting.net:
1. Create an account with a password and email.
2. Complete a 10-minute order form providing instructions, sources, and deadline. Attach sample work if wanting the writer to mimic your style.
3. Review bids from writers and choose one based on qualifications, history, and feedback. Place a deposit to start the assignment.
4. Ensure the paper meets expectations and authorize payment if pleased. Free revisions are provided.
5. Multiple revisions can be requested to ensure satisfaction. Work will be original and a refund is offered if plagiarized. The site aims to fully meet customer needs.
The document provides instructions for how to request and receive writing assistance from HelpWriting.net. It outlines a 5-step process: 1) Create an account with a password and email. 2) Complete a 10-minute order form providing instructions, sources, and deadline. 3) Review bids from writers and choose one. 4) Receive the paper and authorize payment if satisfied. 5) Request revisions to ensure satisfaction and receive a refund if plagiarized.
Durkheim viewed religion from a sociological perspective, focusing on its social functions rather than theological aspects. He saw religion as a way for societies to unite through shared beliefs and practices. Religion helps reinforce social solidarity and norms. Durkheim analyzed totemism in Australian Aboriginal culture to understand how clans use religious symbols like totems to represent their social identity and connection to the divine. While some like Eliade supported Durkheim's views, others like Malinowski were more critical of applying his ideas to all religions.
Similar to How eBay, Amazon and Alibaba Fuel the World's Top Illegal Industry — the Counterfeit Products Market (20)
How eBay, Amazon and Alibaba Fuel the World's Top Illegal Industry — the Counterfeit Products Market
1. How eBay, Amazon and Alibaba Fuel the World's Top Illegal Industry —... http://www.laweekly.com/informer/2014/12/03/how-ebay-amazon-and-al...
Above The Law
How eBay, Amazon and Alibaba Fuel the World's Top Illegal Industry — the
Counterfeit Products Market
By Hillel Aron
Wed, Dec 3, 2014 at 7:03 AM
Categories: Above The Law, Crime, Longform, Shopping
Photo by Ted Soqui
LAPD Detective Rick Ishitani believes the fakery amounts to $500 billion a year, bigger
than the illegal drug trade.
Over the last year, Craig Crosby has bought more than 250 items on eBay. The 6-foot-3 ex-cop with bushy white hair and a white mustache
— a cop's mustache — keeps each item in its own Ziploc bag, carefully labeled as if evidence from a crime scene, because in a way it is. At
least that's how Crosby sees it.
"This is now the largest criminal enterprise in the world," Crosby says in a baritone drawl, sounding almost like John Wayne if he'd grown
up in Reseda. "It actually is more profitable than illegal drug dealing."
All 250 items are counterfeits — counterfeit jeans, counterfeit watches, counterfeit respiratory masks, the kind you might wear if you had
to remove asbestos.
"From what I understand, it's likely that it's actually more dangerous to wear the mask, because of the materials it's made out of, than to
actually not wear the mask," Crosby says.
Beats by Dre headphones, Gillette Fusion razor blades, a Gerber Bear Grylls hunting knife, a Rubik's Cube, Head tennis racquets, Apple
USB phone chargers, Duracell batteries, Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gio men's cologne, Marc Jacobs DOT perfume. To a layman, they're
indistinguishable from the real thing. The packaging is the right colors, the lettering is in the right fonts. There are stickers where there
should be stickers, holograms where there should be holograms.
But they're all knockoffs.
One of Crosby's favorites: a pair of Tron headphones from the electronics company Monster Cable Products. They look like the kind of
headphones the characters in the 2010 sequel Tron: Legacy might wear: white and shiny with sharp edges and parts that light up aqua
blue.
But the headphones on Crosby's desk are actually a step beyond counterfeit, since Monster never made Tron headphones. They're an
entirely faked product, illegally and convincingly stamped with Monster's name.
Years ago, Monster thought about making Tron headphones, produced several prototypes and even displayed them at trade shows. But,
Dave Tognotti, Monster's general counsel, says the factories "couldn't get the product made to our quality satisfaction." So Monster
scratched the idea.
Yet a year or two later, after Tron: Legacy was released on DVD, the headphones started showing up online, as if the idea itself had
miraculously engineered its own existence.
1 of 8 12/5/2014 1:45 PM
2. How eBay, Amazon and Alibaba Fuel the World's Top Illegal Industry —... http://www.laweekly.com/informer/2014/12/03/how-ebay-amazon-and-al...
The headphones looked real, and the box — especially the box — looked real. They even came with an enticing origin story: that Monster
had made the headphones, but when Tron: Legacy tanked at the box office, the company decided to shelve them in a warehouse.
And there's a problem beyond their illegality: Their sound quality is poor, and some of the parts are fragile.
Today's global trade network is awash with knockoffs, and not just electronics and handbags but, frighteningly, such items as air bags and
airplane parts. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has warned: "While these air bags look nearly identical to certified,
original equipment parts — including bearing the insignia and branding of major automakers — NHTSA testing showed consistent
malfunctioning ranging from nondeployment of the air bag to the expulsion of metal shrapnel during deployment."
Photo by Ted Soqui
"It's a myth," Tognotti says. "There's the example of the audacity of counterfeiters."
Rob Holmes, Gucci’s private investigator, found suppliers selling $1,000 “Gucci”
handbags for $2 apiece — with a minimum order of 2,000.
The Senate Armed Services Committee found 1,800 counterfeit items had wormed their way into the "defense chain," and also cited an
example of a private-plane manufacturer that is knowingly letting seven of its airplanes operate with what the committee believes are
counterfeit "ice detection modules."
Perhaps most dangerous are the counterfeit pharmaceutical drugs. According to the World Health Organization, more than 50 percent of
medicine has been found counterfeit that was bought "on the Internet from illegal sites that conceal their physical address."
And according to Interpol, each year more than 1 million people die from taking knockoff drugs.
Last year in China, a 23-year-old flight attendant was electrocuted to death by what turned out to be a counterfeit iPhone charger. Tognotti
says he's seen knockoffs that "contain illegal levels of banned substances like chromium, lead and cadmium."
Estimates of the money changing hands ranges from $350 billion to $1 trillion. LAPD Detective Rick Ishitani guesses $500 billion — still
enough to make counterfeit products bigger than the illegal drug trade, worth $321 billion, according to a 2003 United Nations report. The
International Chamber of Commerce expects the counterfeit trade to reach $1.7 trillion by next year.
This black market is much harder to assess now, as it migrates online, especially to huge sites such as eBay, Amazon and one of nine sites
owned by Alibaba. That Chinese behemoth, which went public in September, is hands-down the easiest way to buy counterfeit items in
bulk, according to Crosby and others.
"Two years ago, most of our counterfeit items were coming [in] big shipping containers," Ishitani says, but the cops rarely have a chance to
zero in on such physical mother lodes anymore.
"In the last year," Ishitani explains, "most of that stuff transitioned to air mail." Black marketers active on eBay, Amazon and Alibaba are
"directly ordering stuff through a Chinese website, and they're delivered directly to their house." From there, the knockoffs are ordered
online by people who think they're buying the real thing.
Private investigator Chris Buckner says, "People don't even need to meet their supplier anymore. It's shipped in direct from China, and
here a week later. It's completely out of control."
Early in 2013, I bought a Louis Vuitton wallet. I liked the brown, monograph design, and maybe it was sort of an ironic thing. A new
Louis Vuitton man's wallet goes for $490. I went straight to eBay and, after losing a few auctions, bought one for $216. It arrived a few
weeks later, smelling of new leather.
2 of 8 12/5/2014 1:45 PM
3. How eBay, Amazon and Alibaba Fuel the World's Top Illegal Industry —... http://www.laweekly.com/informer/2014/12/03/how-ebay-amazon-and-al...
When Craig Crosby heard this tale, he grinned and said, "Well, where did you buy it? If you didn't buy it from an authorized retailer, you
probably got a fake."
But it looked real. So I took it to the Louis Vuitton store inside Bloomingdale's at the Glendale Galleria. There, the "leather expert," Josh,
examined it suspiciously.
"They don't allow us to authenticate" items brought in, he said, but he pointed to a few troubling, subtle signs. The wallet is edged with a
leather bumper; this one's was a lot thinner than those in the Louis Vuitton store. Some of the inside leather was already worn. Most
glaringly, some stitches were fraying.
After only a couple years, a true Louis Vuitton should have held up better. Josh wouldn't say for sure, but it was clear he thought it was a
fake — a good fake, maybe, but still fake.
Ebay contends that it has taken a number of steps to cut down on counterfeit products, including its program that allows manufacturers to
file reports against entities that are selling counterfeit versions of their products.
"As a result of our efforts, we're currently seeing an all-time low in fraudulent activity on eBay — with fraud down 50 percent over the last
seven years (2007-2014)," eBay spokesman Ryan Moore says in a statement.
That's a major reduction, but 50 percent of how big of a problem?
Kevin McPherson is director of brand protection for OtterBox, a company that makes waterproof, drop-proof iPhone cases. He says that
this year alone, he's gotten 84,000 listings taken down from eBay, Amazon and Alibaba.
Despite that huge figure, he doesn't mind being in charge of enforcing counterfeit laws — it's the only realistic option.
"To put the onus on eBay or Amazon to try and enforce our brand would be extremely difficult," McPherson says. "They don't have the
knowledge or fortitude to find those counterfeits and take them down."
Crosby, who can do a quick search of any number of products on eBay and find a fake within 10 seconds, dismisses this argument.
"My position is [that eBay is] not fulfilling an obligation, legally, morally or ethically, to protect their consumers efficiently," he says. "And
the reason I can say that is I have the products."
Many manufacturers and private investigators say that eBay is doing the best it can. The firm claims to annually log more than 60 million
disputes between buyers and sellers, only some of which are about counterfeits; millions of disputes are over false item descriptions,
broken items, items that don't arrive, failure to accept a return and failure to pay.
"If you let eBay know there's a suspicious auction taking place, they'll take it down," Tognotti says. "The problem is that it becomes a
cat-and-mouse game. The counterfeit sellers may have hundreds of accounts" — meaning they are selling things under different names.
"It's very difficult — you're playing defense."
As for the fast-rising online marketplace Alibaba: "Their process for eliminating counterfeit is ... let's say cumbersome. They're not making
an aggressive effort," Tognotti says.
Rob Holmes made his first undercover buy when he was 12, a counterfeit MTV T-shirt on the Seaside Heights boardwalk (which burned
down last year) in New Jersey. His dad, a former state trooper, became a private detective in the early 1980s, busting counterfeiters at
swap meets and on street corners. On Canal Street, in New York, they called him "Chief." He got his two sons to help make buys, and paid
them in ice cream. Rob still has a clipping from the Philadelphia Inquirer about a raid of fake Guccis in 1983.
"I was on that raid," the PI says proudly. "And I still work for Gucci."
Rob's younger brother, Jason, couldn't wait to join the family business. But Rob was the rebel. He wanted something different. First he
went to Bible college in Philadelphia. Then he moved to L.A. to be a stand-up comic, until he made a discovery: He just wasn't funny.
"My father always said he was born to catch bad guys," Rob says. "That's what I was born to do."
In 2001, Rob and Jason started their own firm — first they called it the Holmes Detective Agency, but they later renamed it IPCybercrime,
after what had become Rob's specialty.
Since online knockoffs aren't exactly a priority for law enforcement, most companies hire their own private investigators, who then put
together a case to either hand off to the cops or take to civil court.
When it comes to online detectives, Rob Holmes is the guy. Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Cartier — they all use him.
Earlier this year, Gucci asked Holmes (whom they keep on retainer) to build a case against Alibaba, whom industry experts say is the
undisputed leader of counterfeit product sales. Not only can you find just about anything you want from Alibaba, you can buy thousands of
units wholesale to sell on the street or online.
3 of 8 12/5/2014 1:45 PM
4. How eBay, Amazon and Alibaba Fuel the World's Top Illegal Industry —... http://www.laweekly.com/informer/2014/12/03/how-ebay-amazon-and-al...
In the past, brands have successfully shut down manufacturers and gotten Internet service providers to take down domain names, such as
DiscountGucci.com, that sell counterfeit goods.
In 2004, Tiffany & Co. sued eBay, saying the auction site "simply turned a blind eye" to its many complaints about Tiffany counterfeiters.
A New York District Court in 2008 sided with eBay, saying the company didn't have the means to police its millions of listings. The Court
of Appeals agreed, issuing a buyer-beware warning that Tiffany's "About Me" page on eBay clearly warns eBay buyers that "[m]ost of the
purported 'TIFFANY & CO.' silver jewelry and packaging available on eBay is counterfeit."
Holmes calls the court ruling "earth-shattering for the third-party liability aspect of counterfeiting. They were not able to prove that eBay
was complicit."
In 2011, Tre Milano, which makes electric hair straighteners that are popular with millennials, sued Amazon over knockoffs being sold on
the website. Tre Milano had sent Amazon hundreds of takedown notices, some of which were ignored.
Photo by Ted Soqui
What they haven't really been able to do is go after online marketplaces.
LAPD Det. Rick Ishitani, right (in black T-shirt), and his task force perform a raid on a
suspect’s San Fernando Valley apartment.
"The court basically said that Tre Milano didn't do enough of its homework, didn't do enough test buys," says Eric Goldman, a professor at
Santa Clara University School of Law. "Amazon won the case, even though it had ignored takedown notices, and even though the risk of
injury was quite high."
That's what Holmes was up against — case law favoring the marketplaces.
Holmes and his team bought hundreds of products from merchants that had been declared "Gold Suppliers" and "Assessed Suppliers" by
Alibaba — that is, merchants whom Alibaba had physically inspected and given its stamp of approval.
Yet these suppliers were selling Gucci bags, in bulk, for preposterously low prices. Thousand-dollar handbags were selling for $2 to $5 a
unit, with a minimum order of 2,000 units. Some claimed to be real; others advertised "replica." All carried the famous Gucci logo of two
interlocked G's.
When contacted by Holmes' team, the sellers readily admitted they were actually peddling knockoffs. "Are you looking for the Gucci replica
watch, right," one wrote. "It happen that our factory have such models as attached picture." Another wrote on his listing: "These items are
not so good. Instead, they are as good as the original ones, but not as dear as original ones in your country."
4 of 8 12/5/2014 1:45 PM
5. How eBay, Amazon and Alibaba Fuel the World's Top Illegal Industry —... http://www.laweekly.com/informer/2014/12/03/how-ebay-amazon-and-al...
Photo by Ted Soqui
LAPD Det. Rick Ishitani, right, plots a raid on a suspect’s apartment.
The legwork paid off. Two weeks after Gucci sued, in July, Alibaba agreed to cooperate, and Gucci withdrew its lawsuit.
But since this victory never got to court, it won't enter into case law. The common law tilts in favor of eBay, Amazon, Alibaba and others.
"I think we're moving away from the idea that online marketplaces are absolute guarantors that there won't be counterfeit goods," says
Goldman, the law professor. "Trademark owners have acquiesced to the fact that marketplaces will help them but won't do everything they
ask."
But if the manufacturers and marketplaces are slowly approaching a sort of détente in which consumers have little voice, there's one
guy who's still fighting: ex-cop Craig Crosby.
"The investigators and manufacturers are trying to maintain a working relationship with eBay," he says. "Whereas I resigned myself in the
beginning — eBay, Amazon and Alibaba are huge proliferators of counterfeits, and I'm not here to be their friend."
Crosby is reluctant to go into his personal history. He refuses to give his age (he's in his late 50s) and doesn't want people to know too
much about his LAPD career.
"Life is a series of events that seem important at the time," he says. "Who cares about five years ago? Today is the day."
"I'm not afraid," he says. "I expect it. I don't know what the fallout is, because no one's ever done this before. I know the Chinese
[counterfeiters] hate me, because they try to hack me every day."
One counterfeiter even sent him a rat trap. "This is the mentality you're dealing with," he says. "But what I'm more concerned with is
[them] sending stuff that's hazardous. Or dangerous. So the less information someone knows about me, the better."
Photo by Ted Soqui
He's also worried that big counterfeiters might take revenge on him for shutting them down.
LAPD Det. Rick Ishitani during a raid on a suspect’s apartment
Crosby grew up in the San Fernando Valley and joined the LAPD when he was 21. He worked in about half a dozen divisions, including
juvenile, major crimes — and counterfeiting. In the 1980s, he bought a DEC Rainbow, one of the early home personal computers, for
$1,000. That set off an interest in writing software, a hobby born out of restlessness.
"I don't enjoy sitting around," he says. "I'm not a 700-pound computer geek that sits around eating Doritos. It's a mental challenge. I like
creating something."
5 of 8 12/5/2014 1:45 PM
6. How eBay, Amazon and Alibaba Fuel the World's Top Illegal Industry —... http://www.laweekly.com/informer/2014/12/03/how-ebay-amazon-and-al...
In 1988, Crosby, a field sergeant, designed a program to determine which police officers should be deployed where — back then, officers
filled out paper forms, and supervisors compiled spreadsheets and made judgment calls.
After a three-month test run, station captains praised the program, predicting it would save thousands of man-hours and millions of
dollars. They recommended it "be adopted on a permanent basis."
Crosby wanted to spend time perfecting his software and then sell it to other police departments. He planned to give it to LAPD for free.
But LAPD continued to use it after the initial three-month test run and wouldn't sign a usage agreement, which Crosby needed, in part, for
marketing purposes. He warned the department that it was in violation of its agreement, and that he had built into the software a kill
switch — which he intended to use.
Still, LAPD top brass dragged their feet. A few weeks later, the screens went dark.
"I wanted to wash my hands of dealing with them," Crosby told the Los Angeles Times in September 1991.
He soon was transferred to a division a long commute from his home, a punishment known as "freeway therapy." Crosby, in turn, sued the
police department. Two years later, the department settled in order to avoid a jury trial, paying Crosby $983,000. He remained an LAPD
officer for another 11 years, retiring in 2004.
In 2008, Crosby launched Pro Bids, a site that matches workers and contractors with clients. Today, the site has 280,000 customers and
essentially runs itself.
So Crosby was looking for another project when, in 2012, he ordered a batch of four cordless phone batteries from a private seller on
Amazon.
When the batteries died after less than a week, he did some research and discovered batteries are among the most counterfeited products.
The more he read about how the knockoff industry had migrated online, the more shocked he was.
Where were the regulators? Where was the publicity?
"You go to restaurants, drugstores, someone's kind of looking out for you," he says. "You go to eBay or Amazon, who's looking out for you?"
So Crosby began a one-man mission to spread the word about the dangers of buying discount goods online. He bought suspicious items
from reputable online marketplaces and published his findings on his website, The Counterfeit Report.
One of the items he bought was a Cardsharp knife, essentially a plastic fold-out knife the size and shape of a thick credit card. It comes in
black — not pink. Sometime last year, pink Cardsharp knives showed up on eBay. Crosby bought one, verified it was fake and attempted to
leave negative "feedback" on eBay about the seller, warning potential buyers that the seller was peddling phonies.
But Crosby couldn't post the feedback on eBay.
The seller, it turned out, had been deemed a "power seller" by eBay, having sold more than 54,000 items, and was therefore granted
special privileges.
Anyone wishing to post negative feedback on eBay about a power seller had to wait a week, in order to give the seller a chance to make
things right with the customer.
In most cases, the seller asks for the product back before sending a refund. But Crosby had no intention of mailing back the counterfeit
knife — it was, after all, evidence of a crime.
Around that same time, Crosby had an idea: Why not offer, for free, his own product on eBay — a hard-copy printout of his emailed
newsletter, The Counterfeit Report, in which he notifies consumers about knockoff products and slams eBay?
His newsletter printouts could be listed on eBay under the same keywords the counterfeiters choose to categorize their own items for sale.
That meant that if, for instance, someone searched for "pink cardsharp knife" on eBay, Crosby's newsletter, categorized using the same
keywords, also would pop up on the hopeful buyer's computer screen to warn them.
His clever digital-age idea didn't go too well.
First, eBay noticed what Crosby, one of tens of millions of sellers on eBay, was doing. It notified him that he couldn't give anything away
for free on its marketplace — it's not Craiglist, after all.
OK, he said, and he changed the price of his free newsletter to 99 cents.
Crosby figured no one would buy his newsletter, but some did buy it — probably some counterfeiters, who then left him negative feedback,
which in turn alerts other eBay users not to trust your products for sale.
Then eBay notified Crosby that his listings were in the wrong category — they needed to be sold under the "advertising" category, while he
was placing his newsletter in various product categories.
6 of 8 12/5/2014 1:45 PM
7. How eBay, Amazon and Alibaba Fuel the World's Top Illegal Industry —... http://www.laweekly.com/informer/2014/12/03/how-ebay-amazon-and-al...
Back and forth they went. Finally, Crosby talked to Alynna Wesley, the spokeswoman for eBay's CEO Jim Donahoe. According to Crosby,
she told him that they were taking his listings down and blocking him from putting them up again.
"What's your objection?" he recalls asking Wesley.
"Well, this isn't in the spirit of eBay," she replied.
"I don't understand. Is there a policy?"
"Yes, we have a policy, and this is not in the spirit of eBay's policy."
"Protecting consumers? Or getting transaction fees?" Crosby snapped, referring to the fees eBay charges sellers — the main source of its
revenue.
That's not the point," she said, exasperated. "You can't do this."
"Well, reference me a policy I can look at so we can comply."
"Well, there is no ... It's just the spirit of the policy."
Crosby was enraged. A simple search of eBay's site could find products such as the Tron headphones and the pink Cardsharps, which were
immediately identifiable as fakes. Yet eBay was, by all appearances, doing nothing to take them down, and was blocking Crosby's attempts
to alert buyers.
More recently, Crosby bought counterfeit Bear Grylls hunting knives on eBay, including one from a merchant selling 500 of the knives. Not
only did eBay ignore Crosby's efforts to get the listing yanked but the company actually acceded to the counterfeit merchant's request and
blocked Crosby from bidding on any more of the knives.
"It defies logic!" he says, finally starting to lose his composure.
Last month, eBay told the news site Business Insider that it was a misunderstanding: eBay had mistaken Crosby for an "abusive buyer"
— weirdos who return a lot of products just to make life difficult for sellers.
A spokesman for the site also said that eBay had "reached out to Mr. Crosby to discuss how we can work together in a more formal manner
to keep eBay a place where people can shop with trust and confidence."
But it now appears that wasn't true. The company hadn't reached out to Crosby. It did so only after the Business Insider story ran, in an
email that Crosby calls "less than minimal."
Perhaps eBay, which is No. 54 on Forbes' list of most valuable brands, and is valued at more than $71 billion, simply doesn't take Crosby
seriously.
Maybe it sees him as a gadfly, a nuisance, annoying but ultimately harmless. As long as it mollifies the Monsters, the OtterBoxes, the
Guccis of the world, these big firms will stick with eBay.
Even Rob Holmes, who thinks that eBay does about as good a job as it can, says eBay will never be able to fully clean itself up.
The problem isn't just the supply. Today's economy has trained us all to demand a deal — you're practically a sucker if you don't. Whether
buying airline tickets from Orbitz, used books from Amazon (some of which sell for a penny, plus shipping), or a Burke Williams spa
package from Groupon, we are now a nation — a globe — of bargain hunters.
"People get used to purchasing brand names at discount prices," says Judy Zaichkowsky, professor of marketing at Simon Fraser
University in Vancouver. "It doesn't faze them — in fact, they think you're stupid if you're paying full price for a brand name, because you
can get it so much cheaper at Walmart."
A few months ago, I bought an Athletico Madrid soccer jersey on Ali Express (an easy-to-use Alibaba site designed for U.S. customers).
Normally, they sell for $90. This one was $18.37. I assumed it would be fake. But when it came, it looked real. Even soccer shop employees
thought it was real. To this day, I haven't been able to disprove its authenticity.
"Prior to 2009, counterfeits we found were really poor quality," says Monster's Dave Tognatti. "They really didn't fool anyone. Starting in
2009, we saw the level of sophistication of counterfeiters had risen to a new level."
There are a number of explanations for this rise in craftsmanship. As the potential profits from counterfeiting increase, so do the effort and
expertise. And, to a certain extent, it's like an arms race: Manufacturers make harder-to-fake verification tools such as holograms, and
eventually, the counterfeiters catch up.
But undoubtedly, part of the story lies in China, where more than 70 percent of all counterfeits originate, according to the International
Chamber of Commerce.
7 of 8 12/5/2014 1:45 PM
8. How eBay, Amazon and Alibaba Fuel the World's Top Illegal Industry —... http://www.laweekly.com/informer/2014/12/03/how-ebay-amazon-and-al...
"There is a concept known as the ghost shift," says Tim Phillips, a journalist and author of Knockoff: The Deadly Trade in Counterfeit
Goods. "A company outsources its production, which nearly every company does, to China. It gives the factory [in China] the materials, the
instructions and a lot of money. If, as the manufacturer, you can get [extra] materials and you have the machines in place, you can run
your factory for three shifts instead of two. The third shift makes fake product."
That's why some of the newly available counterfeits look so good — some of them are made by the same factories, if not with the same
materials.
The Chinese call it shanzhai. Literally, the word means "mountain stronghold" or "mountain hideaway," a sort of hidden fortress for
bandits. But the modern definition refers to counterfeit, pirated or imitated brands — a sort of Robin Hood–style prank played on global
capitalism by a nominally socialist country beginning to emerge from poverty.
"Those famous international brands, those are the super-rich," says Yunxiang Yan, a professor of anthropology at UCLA, who points out
that many of the factories in China are small, family-run affairs. "And here, you have ordinary people fighting against the super-giants."
The Chinese government has naturally promised the World Trade Organization it will crack down. Yet, Yan says, "At every single level of
the local government, there are close ties to individual merchants."
Holmes explains that no marketplace on Earth will ever admit the underlying reality that "a portion of their business comes from crime."
"When you have shareholders, you don't want any portion of your business to go away. That's the moral problem with enforcing
counterfeits. It's like drugs — we want the problem to go away, but we don't want the money to go away."
Here Are California's
Most Sexually Active
Cities
Above the Law
Crime
Longform
Shopping
Craig Crosby
TRON: Legacy
Rob Holmes
Counterfeiting
Crime
AR O U N D T H E WE B
Ingenious Dentistry
GET THE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
Our weekly feature stories, movie reviews, calendar picks and more - minus the newsprint and sent
directly to your inbox.
enter email
Related Content
Recommended by
RELATED
I Was a Web Cam
Performer
Pauly Shore Nearly
Ruined the Beach
Goth Party
8 of 8 12/5/2014 1:45 PM