And the fake stuff use to be limited to Rolex watches and women's handbags!!
Counterfeit products
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Originally Posted by Donald
And the fake stuff use to be limited to Rolex watches and women's handbags!!
The fake Rolex deal reminds me of a funny story. Remember when O.J. was forced to pay the Ron Goldman family $30 million in a civil suit he lost to them? Naturally he didn't have it. So one day Goldman was watching a TV interview of O.J., and noticed he was wearing a gold "Rolex" watch. He immediately called his lawyer and demanded he get the watch as part of the settlement payment that he was owed..... It turned out to be a $200.00 fake.
And the fake stuff use to be limited to Rolex watches and women's handbags!!
The fake Rolex deal reminds me of a funny story. Remember when O.J. was forced to pay the Ron Goldman family $30 million in a civil suit he lost to them? Naturally he didn't have it. So one day Goldman was watching a TV interview of O.J., and noticed he was wearing a gold "Rolex" watch. He immediately called his lawyer and demanded he get the watch as part of the settlement payment that he was owed..... It turned out to be a $200.00 fake.
Originally Posted by Kira
People have posted here questions about whether Mobil1 jugs for sale at Walmart are the real thing or if Mobil itself makes sub-standard products for their biggest outlets.
Your question is not an unreasonable one.
No. Walmart and Mobil have too much too loose to even consider doing this. They would soon be caught out by UOA's and the car manufacturers that recommend Mobil 1.
People have posted here questions about whether Mobil1 jugs for sale at Walmart are the real thing or if Mobil itself makes sub-standard products for their biggest outlets.
Your question is not an unreasonable one.
No. Walmart and Mobil have too much too loose to even consider doing this. They would soon be caught out by UOA's and the car manufacturers that recommend Mobil 1.
Years ago I remember reading that the luxury/high performance OEMs's were in a protracted fight against counterfeit parts. Some of the parts where just bad copies whereas others were failed QC or "third shift" where the manufacturer makes up for underbidding by running "extras" and selling them out the back door.
Its said to happen with oil here. Agip gets mentioned. There have also been documented cases of used oil being sold on Ebay in the UK.
I think I reduce the risk a lot by buying cheap oil (which is less likely to be counterfeited) from large supermarkets (RT-Mart or Carrefour) rather than small garages or the internet.
I think I reduce the risk a lot by buying cheap oil (which is less likely to be counterfeited) from large supermarkets (RT-Mart or Carrefour) rather than small garages or the internet.
Originally Posted by billt460
Originally Posted by Donald
And the fake stuff use to be limited to Rolex watches and women's handbags!!
The fake Rolex deal reminds me of a funny story. Remember when O.J. was forced to pay the Ron Goldman family $30 million in a civil suit he lost to them? Naturally he didn't have it. So one day Goldman was watching a TV interview of O.J., and noticed he was wearing a gold "Rolex" watch. He immediately called his lawyer and demanded he get the watch as part of the settlement payment that he was owed..... It turned out to be a $200.00 fake.
Weren't you an advocate of buying counterfeit ripoffs a few months ago ?
(Think it was firearm related...if the designer/IP holder can't drop their prices, then ripoffs are a good thing ???)
Originally Posted by Donald
And the fake stuff use to be limited to Rolex watches and women's handbags!!
The fake Rolex deal reminds me of a funny story. Remember when O.J. was forced to pay the Ron Goldman family $30 million in a civil suit he lost to them? Naturally he didn't have it. So one day Goldman was watching a TV interview of O.J., and noticed he was wearing a gold "Rolex" watch. He immediately called his lawyer and demanded he get the watch as part of the settlement payment that he was owed..... It turned out to be a $200.00 fake.
Weren't you an advocate of buying counterfeit ripoffs a few months ago ?
(Think it was firearm related...if the designer/IP holder can't drop their prices, then ripoffs are a good thing ???)
Zee09
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Originally Posted by rshaw125
Originally Posted by Kira
People have posted here questions about whether Mobil1 jugs for sale at Walmart are the real thing or if Mobil itself makes sub-standard products for their biggest outlets.
Your question is not an unreasonable one.
No. Walmart and Mobil have too much too loose to even consider doing this. They would soon be caught out by UOA's and the car manufacturers that recommend Mobil 1.
Right! How can Mobil give such big rebates?
Oil isn't expensive. It is a big profit margin product. You get ripped at a full retail store and then
you think discounters-wholesalers are selling counterfeit. Not so.
Originally Posted by Kira
People have posted here questions about whether Mobil1 jugs for sale at Walmart are the real thing or if Mobil itself makes sub-standard products for their biggest outlets.
Your question is not an unreasonable one.
No. Walmart and Mobil have too much too loose to even consider doing this. They would soon be caught out by UOA's and the car manufacturers that recommend Mobil 1.
Right! How can Mobil give such big rebates?
Oil isn't expensive. It is a big profit margin product. You get ripped at a full retail store and then
you think discounters-wholesalers are selling counterfeit. Not so.
Absolutely. I know the Canadian example is a bit extreme, but I was getting Delvac 1 at $6 to $7 per litre any day of the week from the distributor. That's half of Walmart's price on TDT and half of what CT would sell Delvac 1 or TDT. Now, big agricultural suppliers here that buy Delvac 1 pay half yet again what I paid, and we know Imperial Oil was still making money on that.
Originally Posted by Shannow
...if the designer/IP holder can't drop their prices, then ripoffs are a good thing ???)
Why are they "ripoffs"? A copy is a copy. There is nothing "wrong" with buying a lower cost copy, as long as the consumer knows it's a copy they are purchasing, and not the original. There is no deception being committed on the part of the seller. If someone is stupid enough to actually believe they're getting an original Rolex for $200.00, then they deserve to be scammed.
...if the designer/IP holder can't drop their prices, then ripoffs are a good thing ???)
Why are they "ripoffs"? A copy is a copy. There is nothing "wrong" with buying a lower cost copy, as long as the consumer knows it's a copy they are purchasing, and not the original. There is no deception being committed on the part of the seller. If someone is stupid enough to actually believe they're getting an original Rolex for $200.00, then they deserve to be scammed.
Walmart buys more motor oil from Mobil in a week than a Mom and Pop auto parts store probably buys in their whole careers. They pass on the savings by buying in huge volume. The name brand and oil certifications are printed right on the jug. It is the same Mobil 1 you can buy anywhere. It is not conterfeit.
If Walmart is going to cut corners anywhere it will be on their own store brand Super Tech oil since they could change their supplier from one week to the next without telling you. There is no oil company guarantee behind Super Tech oil. The only guarantee is Walmart's reputation and that PQIA has tested it. If it turned out not to meet the spec written on the jugs though, Walmart would never hear the end of it.
If Walmart is going to cut corners anywhere it will be on their own store brand Super Tech oil since they could change their supplier from one week to the next without telling you. There is no oil company guarantee behind Super Tech oil. The only guarantee is Walmart's reputation and that PQIA has tested it. If it turned out not to meet the spec written on the jugs though, Walmart would never hear the end of it.
Billt460 said :
"I have read from several sources that whole, "sub quality made just for Wal-Mart", is complete nonsense. I heard the same thing said about their guns, .22 L.R. ammo, laundry detergent, motor oil, paint, and even prescription drugs. It's all B.S."
Maybe contents are the same, but manufacturers definitely make special items for Walmart. Usually the quantity is slightly less or less elaborate packaging to reduce cost. I have been caught a couple times, most recently with RustOleum spray paint. Thought I was getting a much better price at Walmart vs Lowe's only to discover Walmart can was smaller.
"I have read from several sources that whole, "sub quality made just for Wal-Mart", is complete nonsense. I heard the same thing said about their guns, .22 L.R. ammo, laundry detergent, motor oil, paint, and even prescription drugs. It's all B.S."
Maybe contents are the same, but manufacturers definitely make special items for Walmart. Usually the quantity is slightly less or less elaborate packaging to reduce cost. I have been caught a couple times, most recently with RustOleum spray paint. Thought I was getting a much better price at Walmart vs Lowe's only to discover Walmart can was smaller.
Originally Posted by artbuc
Maybe contents are the same, but manufacturers definitely make special items for Walmart. Usually the quantity is slightly less or less elaborate packaging to reduce cost. I have been caught a couple times, most recently with RustOleum spray paint. Thought I was getting a much better price at Walmart vs Lowe's only to discover Walmart can was smaller.
Special packaging requests, along with varying sizes and amounts are done for many large retailers. Wal-Mart is no exception. But the actual quality of the product itself is no different.
Maybe contents are the same, but manufacturers definitely make special items for Walmart. Usually the quantity is slightly less or less elaborate packaging to reduce cost. I have been caught a couple times, most recently with RustOleum spray paint. Thought I was getting a much better price at Walmart vs Lowe's only to discover Walmart can was smaller.
Special packaging requests, along with varying sizes and amounts are done for many large retailers. Wal-Mart is no exception. But the actual quality of the product itself is no different.
I bought some Valvoline Advanced full synthetic from Walmart a few months ago. I compared the UPC on the 5 qt jugs to the UPC info on Valvoline's website ... they were different. The rest of the bottle looked the same as any other Valvoline 5 qt jug.
I live chatted with Valvoline and asked why the different UPC, and if the oil was formulated any differently for Walmart. The answer was there was no formulation difference, the oil is exactly the same, but Valvoline puts a unique UPC on all the oil bought by Walmart ... he didn't get into the specifics why. Probably something to do with the purchase contract between Valvoline and Walmart.
I live chatted with Valvoline and asked why the different UPC, and if the oil was formulated any differently for Walmart. The answer was there was no formulation difference, the oil is exactly the same, but Valvoline puts a unique UPC on all the oil bought by Walmart ... he didn't get into the specifics why. Probably something to do with the purchase contract between Valvoline and Walmart.
Originally Posted by billt460
Why are they "ripoffs"? A copy is a copy. There is nothing "wrong" with buying a lower cost copy, as long as the consumer knows it's a copy they are purchasing, and not the original. There is no deception being committed on the part of the seller. If someone is stupid enough to actually believe they're getting an original Rolex for $200.00, then they deserve to be scammed.
It still is a scam. I'm sure if I really wanted to, and had the resources, I could get a Chinese company to make a Chevy truck copy, down to the Bow Tie, and then I could try to sell it here. Even if I was admitting it was a fake, GM would tear me a new one within about five minutes of them discovering it.
Why are they "ripoffs"? A copy is a copy. There is nothing "wrong" with buying a lower cost copy, as long as the consumer knows it's a copy they are purchasing, and not the original. There is no deception being committed on the part of the seller. If someone is stupid enough to actually believe they're getting an original Rolex for $200.00, then they deserve to be scammed.
It still is a scam. I'm sure if I really wanted to, and had the resources, I could get a Chinese company to make a Chevy truck copy, down to the Bow Tie, and then I could try to sell it here. Even if I was admitting it was a fake, GM would tear me a new one within about five minutes of them discovering it.
Originally Posted by Garak
It still is a scam. I'm sure if I really wanted to, and had the resources, I could get a Chinese company to make a Chevy truck copy, down to the Bow Tie, and then I could try to sell it here. Even if I was admitting it was a fake, GM would tear me a new one within about five minutes of them discovering it.
It isn't a "scam" if the person buying it knows it's a reproduction. Then no one is being "scammed". Besides, a lot of auto parts sold here are made in China and Taiwan. Even a lot of the OEM parts are contracted there. Look under the hood of a new car. You'll lose count of how many times you see the word "China". Go into any Auto Zone or O'Reilley's, and half of the boxed parts they sell are manufactured in Pacific Rim countries and China. No one is being scammed.
In cases of high priced goods that are "faked", they're not hurting the original market at all. A person who buys a $200.00 "fake" Rolex on Amazon, is never going to buy the original in the first place. So instead they buy the fake, or else they don't buy anything. One market doesn't interfere with, or take away from the other.
And the opposite is also true. A person buying an original $35,000.00 gold Rolex Presidential watch, isn't going to be stupid enough to purchase it on Amazon or E-Bay. He is going to go to a reputable jeweler. And he certainly isn't interested in the $200.00 fakes they're selling on E-Bay. The whole, "theft of intellectual property" is bogus as well for the same reason. Something has to be stolen from someone in order to be called theft.
The much cheaper reproduction markets don't take from the original markets on expensive goods. Because the people buying the fakes either can't afford, or else don't want the real deal in the first place. If they did, they would simply buy it. Instead they want the much cheaper reproduction. So once again, it's either they buy the fake, or else they buy nothing. The original market see's no damage from these sales.
If it's a fraudulent representation, that's a different story. But again, if people apply common sense, and watch where they purchase these products, 90% of this type of fraud would be eliminated. There are some things you just should not buy on Amazon. Much like Facebook, it's too large to be policed well enough to prevent this type of thing.
It still is a scam. I'm sure if I really wanted to, and had the resources, I could get a Chinese company to make a Chevy truck copy, down to the Bow Tie, and then I could try to sell it here. Even if I was admitting it was a fake, GM would tear me a new one within about five minutes of them discovering it.
It isn't a "scam" if the person buying it knows it's a reproduction. Then no one is being "scammed". Besides, a lot of auto parts sold here are made in China and Taiwan. Even a lot of the OEM parts are contracted there. Look under the hood of a new car. You'll lose count of how many times you see the word "China". Go into any Auto Zone or O'Reilley's, and half of the boxed parts they sell are manufactured in Pacific Rim countries and China. No one is being scammed.
In cases of high priced goods that are "faked", they're not hurting the original market at all. A person who buys a $200.00 "fake" Rolex on Amazon, is never going to buy the original in the first place. So instead they buy the fake, or else they don't buy anything. One market doesn't interfere with, or take away from the other.
And the opposite is also true. A person buying an original $35,000.00 gold Rolex Presidential watch, isn't going to be stupid enough to purchase it on Amazon or E-Bay. He is going to go to a reputable jeweler. And he certainly isn't interested in the $200.00 fakes they're selling on E-Bay. The whole, "theft of intellectual property" is bogus as well for the same reason. Something has to be stolen from someone in order to be called theft.
The much cheaper reproduction markets don't take from the original markets on expensive goods. Because the people buying the fakes either can't afford, or else don't want the real deal in the first place. If they did, they would simply buy it. Instead they want the much cheaper reproduction. So once again, it's either they buy the fake, or else they buy nothing. The original market see's no damage from these sales.
If it's a fraudulent representation, that's a different story. But again, if people apply common sense, and watch where they purchase these products, 90% of this type of fraud would be eliminated. There are some things you just should not buy on Amazon. Much like Facebook, it's too large to be policed well enough to prevent this type of thing.
Originally Posted by billt460
It isn't a "scam" if the person buying it knows it's a reproduction. Then no one is being "scammed".
GM would be being scammed, because of theft of intellectual property, and would take every last penny I have to make sure I understood that. I do know why people buy fake Rolexes. That's not at issue. However, most countries do have a law against that, and when they find these items, they get seized and destroyed and charges laid. Counterfeiting any item is illegal in most modern countries.
There's a reason these things are sold online and generally from foreign companies. It's because if you open a store and sell counterfeit merchandise domestically, complaints will be filed, the police will come and shut you down, you will be charged, and then sued within an inch of your life by the IP holder. It's happened here. It happens and fairs. It even happened at our large downtown mall a few years ago. It happens online because even scammers realise it's not prudent to defecate in your own back yard.
Part of the damage of the loss that Rolex or whomever owns the trademark can claim is damage to brand. Some people are very naive and legitimately think they're getting a watch worth thousands of dollars for a few hundred. It's not common.
In the same vein, would you be okay with Walmart selling you a jug of used oil or non-detergent 30 in a sealed Mobil 1 container, as long as the price was too good to be true? If it was $4 for a 5 quart jug, or something like that, it's okay, because you should have known it wouldn't be real M1?
It isn't a "scam" if the person buying it knows it's a reproduction. Then no one is being "scammed".
GM would be being scammed, because of theft of intellectual property, and would take every last penny I have to make sure I understood that. I do know why people buy fake Rolexes. That's not at issue. However, most countries do have a law against that, and when they find these items, they get seized and destroyed and charges laid. Counterfeiting any item is illegal in most modern countries.
There's a reason these things are sold online and generally from foreign companies. It's because if you open a store and sell counterfeit merchandise domestically, complaints will be filed, the police will come and shut you down, you will be charged, and then sued within an inch of your life by the IP holder. It's happened here. It happens and fairs. It even happened at our large downtown mall a few years ago. It happens online because even scammers realise it's not prudent to defecate in your own back yard.
Part of the damage of the loss that Rolex or whomever owns the trademark can claim is damage to brand. Some people are very naive and legitimately think they're getting a watch worth thousands of dollars for a few hundred. It's not common.
In the same vein, would you be okay with Walmart selling you a jug of used oil or non-detergent 30 in a sealed Mobil 1 container, as long as the price was too good to be true? If it was $4 for a 5 quart jug, or something like that, it's okay, because you should have known it wouldn't be real M1?
Originally Posted by Garak
In the same vein, would you be okay with Walmart selling you a jug of used oil or non-detergent 30 in a sealed Mobil 1 container, as long as the price was too good to be true? If it was $4 for a 5 quart jug, or something like that, it's okay, because you should have known it wouldn't be real M1?
Not even close to the same thing. Now you are talking about blatant deception / fraud. Buying a cheap fake for a much cheaper price is not fraud. The seller knows they are selling a knockoff, and doesn't hide that fact. And you as the buyer know you are not getting the original. You accept that, and make the purchase full well knowing it. Back to my example of the $200.00 Rolex. It's price alone screams it's not the real deal. (Just as your $4 a jug "Mobil 1" would, or should to anyone but an idiot). And as I said, if someone is stupid enough to think it is, they deserve to be scammed. Now if someone sold you a fake for the full price of an original, and deliberately lied and defrauded you, then that's deception / fraud...... 2 completely different things.
And this whole, "theft of intellectual property" is bogus as well. Because as I said, these 2 markets don't take away from each other. No one is "stealing" the others customers. The fake market attracts it's consumers. While the much more expensive original market does the same. The markets don't mix. It's like someone buying a fiberglass replica AC Cobra. They're everywhere for $55K to $90K. Where as a matching number Aluminum bodied original will sell for over $1 million.
These markets are worlds apart, and as a result don't hurt one another. Again, no one is "stealing" anything from the other. Nor is the replica hurting the "brand" of the original. Simply because anyone with an ounce of brains knows a $55K "Cobra" isn't the real deal. And the quality of these replicas is all over the place. Some are really nice, while others are junk. Again, it doesn't effect the original brand in the least.
Yet another bigger example is Harbor Freight. Most everything they sell is made in China. They don't hide it. Instead they all but brag about it. They sell direct knock offs, (fakes), of just about every power tool, generator, and gas engine in existence. Law enforcement isn't padlocking their doors shut. Honda isn't suing them over their all but exact Predator engine copies. (Which are such exact copies, many Honda parts will interchange with their Predator Models). Dewalt isn't after them for their all but exact Hercules and Bauer power drill models. They even do direct comparisons to the brand name models in their ads. Harbor Freight's business has never been better.
And one could argue that Harbor Freight is taking business away from Dewalt and Honda as a direct result. But again, there is no fraud or deception. People know and accept what they are buying. You can try to make an argument about, "brand damage". But that's not really happening either. And is only being used as a desperate form of legal leverage. Companies do this mostly for publicity. I remember some years back they uncovered a bunch of fake Cartier watches in a warehouse somewhere in New York. Cartier made a big dog and pony show out of it by having the President of Cartier drive over them with a big steamroller in front of the cameras. People were laughing.... Including him.
Most of this type of foolishness is done for attention. Which never hurts any business. As they say, imitation is the most sincere form of flattery.
In the same vein, would you be okay with Walmart selling you a jug of used oil or non-detergent 30 in a sealed Mobil 1 container, as long as the price was too good to be true? If it was $4 for a 5 quart jug, or something like that, it's okay, because you should have known it wouldn't be real M1?
Not even close to the same thing. Now you are talking about blatant deception / fraud. Buying a cheap fake for a much cheaper price is not fraud. The seller knows they are selling a knockoff, and doesn't hide that fact. And you as the buyer know you are not getting the original. You accept that, and make the purchase full well knowing it. Back to my example of the $200.00 Rolex. It's price alone screams it's not the real deal. (Just as your $4 a jug "Mobil 1" would, or should to anyone but an idiot). And as I said, if someone is stupid enough to think it is, they deserve to be scammed. Now if someone sold you a fake for the full price of an original, and deliberately lied and defrauded you, then that's deception / fraud...... 2 completely different things.
And this whole, "theft of intellectual property" is bogus as well. Because as I said, these 2 markets don't take away from each other. No one is "stealing" the others customers. The fake market attracts it's consumers. While the much more expensive original market does the same. The markets don't mix. It's like someone buying a fiberglass replica AC Cobra. They're everywhere for $55K to $90K. Where as a matching number Aluminum bodied original will sell for over $1 million.
These markets are worlds apart, and as a result don't hurt one another. Again, no one is "stealing" anything from the other. Nor is the replica hurting the "brand" of the original. Simply because anyone with an ounce of brains knows a $55K "Cobra" isn't the real deal. And the quality of these replicas is all over the place. Some are really nice, while others are junk. Again, it doesn't effect the original brand in the least.
Yet another bigger example is Harbor Freight. Most everything they sell is made in China. They don't hide it. Instead they all but brag about it. They sell direct knock offs, (fakes), of just about every power tool, generator, and gas engine in existence. Law enforcement isn't padlocking their doors shut. Honda isn't suing them over their all but exact Predator engine copies. (Which are such exact copies, many Honda parts will interchange with their Predator Models). Dewalt isn't after them for their all but exact Hercules and Bauer power drill models. They even do direct comparisons to the brand name models in their ads. Harbor Freight's business has never been better.
And one could argue that Harbor Freight is taking business away from Dewalt and Honda as a direct result. But again, there is no fraud or deception. People know and accept what they are buying. You can try to make an argument about, "brand damage". But that's not really happening either. And is only being used as a desperate form of legal leverage. Companies do this mostly for publicity. I remember some years back they uncovered a bunch of fake Cartier watches in a warehouse somewhere in New York. Cartier made a big dog and pony show out of it by having the President of Cartier drive over them with a big steamroller in front of the cameras. People were laughing.... Including him.
Most of this type of foolishness is done for attention. Which never hurts any business. As they say, imitation is the most sincere form of flattery.
Theft of intellectual property doesn't necessarily involve theft of customers. I mean theft of design, theft of trademarks, that sort of thing. Theft of R&D is also part of this, and a real thing. That's why patents exist. If Honda doesn't mind someone copying their engines, that's up to them. That doesn't mean other companies won't vigorously defend their copyright, nor does it make it right in any sense of the word.
Originally Posted by Garak
Theft of intellectual property doesn't necessarily involve theft of customers. I mean theft of design, theft of trademarks, that sort of thing. Theft of R&D is also part of this, and a real thing. That's why patents exist. If Honda doesn't mind someone copying their engines, that's up to them. That doesn't mean other companies won't vigorously defend their copyright, nor does it make it right in any sense of the word.
You don't hear much if anything about this anymore. Because most of the time it's not worth the money, or effort for these companies to pursue it. Stuff gets copied all the time. It takes little to nothing to get around infringing on a patent. A few small minor design changes and you're legal. For a lot of these big corporations it quickly becomes like a dog chasing it's tail. Even if he catches it, what does he have? It's an expensive chase that doesn't pay off. Like most legal proceeding are. And most of these people aren't worth chasing in the first place. Because they're hit and run, here today and gone tomorrow, nickel and dime operations that are usually based overseas.
Sure, if someone stumbles on to a warehouse full of counterfeit goods, they'll be confiscated. As was the case with the Cartier watch example I mentioned. If I remember correctly they were discovered accidently while Port Authority Police were investigating another matter. They weren't searching for the watches. They all but tripped over them.
When this stuff started happening in the 70's and 80's on a big scale, they tried to make a really big deal out of it. Since then with the mass expansion of Internet foreign sales through outfits like Amazon, it's all become somewhat of an accepted standard. Which is why you don't hear much about it anymore. Companies today more or less live with it, as part of the price they are forced to pay for doing business on a global scale.
Theft of intellectual property doesn't necessarily involve theft of customers. I mean theft of design, theft of trademarks, that sort of thing. Theft of R&D is also part of this, and a real thing. That's why patents exist. If Honda doesn't mind someone copying their engines, that's up to them. That doesn't mean other companies won't vigorously defend their copyright, nor does it make it right in any sense of the word.
You don't hear much if anything about this anymore. Because most of the time it's not worth the money, or effort for these companies to pursue it. Stuff gets copied all the time. It takes little to nothing to get around infringing on a patent. A few small minor design changes and you're legal. For a lot of these big corporations it quickly becomes like a dog chasing it's tail. Even if he catches it, what does he have? It's an expensive chase that doesn't pay off. Like most legal proceeding are. And most of these people aren't worth chasing in the first place. Because they're hit and run, here today and gone tomorrow, nickel and dime operations that are usually based overseas.
Sure, if someone stumbles on to a warehouse full of counterfeit goods, they'll be confiscated. As was the case with the Cartier watch example I mentioned. If I remember correctly they were discovered accidently while Port Authority Police were investigating another matter. They weren't searching for the watches. They all but tripped over them.
When this stuff started happening in the 70's and 80's on a big scale, they tried to make a really big deal out of it. Since then with the mass expansion of Internet foreign sales through outfits like Amazon, it's all become somewhat of an accepted standard. Which is why you don't hear much about it anymore. Companies today more or less live with it, as part of the price they are forced to pay for doing business on a global scale.
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