As Audiogon threads go, that one's pretty classic. I don't really follow baseball much, but Ty certainly struck out on that one. Counterfeiting is insidious. People may think little real harm comes from a fake LV bag or Rolex watch (other than to the manufacturer, whose image is tarnished by shoddy goods, whether or not the person that buys the cheap fake would ever be a customer for the real thing), but the problem is far more pervasive than that: think airplane replacement parts, medical equipment, drugs, or other things where tolerances can be life-critical.
And, the notion that the presence of counterfeits, even if they aren't badly made, will bring down prices is crazy. If the product could sell on its own merit, it wouldn't be branded with someone else's trademark. The manufacturer of the authentic goods also has additional expenses, not the least of which includes lawyer's fees, time and effort involved in cooperating with enforcement, civil or criminal, investigating alleged counterfeits, etc.that only adds to their overhead and takes away from the time devoted to the core business.
Funny thing is that they are such good copycats, down to the printing of the boxes, that it takes an expert and chemical analysis to tell. And they often have inside help because pharmaceuticals change their packing every couple of months to combat fraud. That's why would never buy from an online pharmacy. You don't know what the hell you're getting!
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