I think it's great to pick apart the flaws in these arguments. In my opinion, those arguments are useful, but to me it's fundamentally a question about individual (and, by extension, corporate) rights. That only gets me so far, though, with friends of mine who don't agree with my philosophy (Ayn Rand's).
Crappy Arguments Against Buying Fakes are Counter-Productive. Upgrade!
- Thread starter ShimmaPuff
- Start date
Thank You! I totally expected to be flamed plumb to Tuscaloosa and back, but I just could not sit on my hands anymore!
I don't think I can claim to be a big fake bag hater. I think maybe that is the value I can offer those who are. My personal sentiments are probably going to be closer to those of your DH - as long as she didn't pay more than $20 for it. I will also admit to thinking she is kind of silly to get something horrible just because it has a Chanel logo, when she could have gotten something like my perfectly lovely little NotChanels, with their insouciant little rhinestone "X" smirking mischievously on the clasp. And each one was under $15.
No one who has ever seen a Chanel bag would ever suspect mine of being one, but if what one likes about a bag is the silhouette, or in my case, I especially like the quilting and the chain strap, and of course the little rhinestone X. Even if other people don't recognize it as an Authentic NotChanel, I know it is, and that's what counts :devil:
LOL I think every one of those arguments can be very useful - if you know that the person you are trying to persuade shares your beliefs - for instance if you have a friend who is very outspoken against people downloading music, and she is thinking of buying a fake bag, then the intellectual property thing would be the perfect argument to present to her - in your case, you may never convince your friends to agree with even a tiny bit of your philosophy, but as all have with the general public, you have a good chance of convincing them not to risk losing money!
So if someday you create a design, write a song, create a painting Shim, and manufacture and license it to make a living and someone comes along and copies and mass produces your work, you would not take measures to issue a "cease and desist"? Those people who would have purchased your authentic, original work took their money elsewhere to someone who does not deserve it - someone who in essence ripped you off. Sorry Shim, you know I love you but my husbands work is based on intellectual property so it is a touchy subject in the Shoo household. Why can't people come up with their own original ideas I say.
Well, we can agree to disagree on the specific subject of intellectual property, but I think you give a very good illustration of my point.
It's not likely that there is anything that anyone could say to you that would change your beliefs about intellectual property, much less convince you to buy or not buy, do or not do, something based on THEIR beliefs on the subject that differ from yours.
So if someone's goal is to persuade you to change your behavior, then they had better come up with something else!
A good argument that might explain Intellectual property theft might be that maybe they don't feel it is a big deal when it comes to designer goods, but what about perscription drugs? Maybe the consumer does not get hurt from buying a fake bag, but that same consumer could be hurt if they buy a persciption drug that is actually a placebo mislabeled. Maybe the same criminals distribute both. You never know.
I don't believe this is any aspect. There are many women who are going BROKE buying designer bags, and there are many people who are well off, who simply don't want to spend the money on designer bags, but like the look, etc. I'm not defending people who buy fake bags, but damn have I seen many a women on here going broke over buying 1 more Balenciaga or LV bag. Just because you're carrying a designer label doesn't mean you're affluent. You could be, but it could also be all of your net worth.
I think I touched on the "it's the law" argument in the original post. If I didn't, I should have!
In the US, any duplication or sale involving unauthorized logos, copyrighted material, brand names, you name it, IS against the law.
But your potential fake bag buyer might not be in the US, and even if she is, it's against the law to sell it, not to buy it!
Not to mention that she may not have the same strong loyalty to that law that you do. So an appeal suggesting that the spirit of the law would preclude her buying the fake bag etc might be about as effective as someone suggesting to you that the law is not a good one!
My point is not to argue the merits any of the beliefs or feelings or loyalties, just to point out that potential buyers of fake bags may or may not share them.
Every single thing I mentioned can be very effective if you are talking to someone that you know shares your belief, your value, etc.
But the thing you can count on - even if she disagrees with you about intellectual property, even she's against all laws on general principle, and lives in a country that doesn't really consider itself bound by US laws - She doesn't want to risk losing money!
Another excellent example of what you DON'T want to happen. You start off with the intention and the hope of persuading somebody, even if it's just one person, not to buy fake bags, but when you do so using your own beliefs and values and opinions, you are just setting yourself up to get sidetracked. The fake bag buyer may have a very different view than yours on the whole subject of prescription drugs, and before you know it, she has led you off into a discussion of the various activities of this or that pharmaceutical company in this or that place, and you are doing a great job of answering her, standing up for your beliefs, and your opinions on the subject - which is now NOT fake bags and why she shouldn't buy one, but a debate about companies and prescription medicines!
I am saying don't let her do that to you! Maybe to you, the risk of losing money is the least important reason not to buy a fake bag, precisely because you do have certain attitudes, opinions, beliefs. And maybe you also have a lot of money.
But you can't count on your target, your opponent, however you want to think of her, this potential - or habitual - buyer of fake bags. Your objective is to convince her not to do it - no matter whether she agrees with you about prescription drugs or intellectual property or wheat tariffs or sex education on schools or what age girls should start dating!
So you look for an argument that will make her stop and think regardless of her opinion on any of those things, something that everybody can relate to.
The best thing I've been able to come up with is the risk of losing money. But I am hoping you and other people will think of other good arguments against buying fake bags that do not depend on your opponent sharing any of your values, opinions, or beliefs!
I guess I'm approaching it from a songwriters POV. While it is not illegal to purchase fake bags it is illegal to download music for free.
One thing about fake bags which bear copyrighted designs is that it undermines the designer's credibility, when their name is on a bag which is not up to their standard of quality.
I know I would not want my name to be appearing on any substandard products, regardless of whether any money changed hands.
It's like being lied about.
I know I would not want my name to be appearing on any substandard products, regardless of whether any money changed hands.
It's like being lied about.
Well its also against the law to speed, anyone done that? And you can knock off a dress design in the US (note France has different laws on this) but not a designer logo, what really is the difference I wonder. You can knock off the look, just not the name. Oh the post-modern discussions that could ensue about this.
I'm reading Deluxe Shimma so no flames from me. I just don't know what I think is worth it to me. I mean I have some designer things but for me the allure and the 'high' has actually worn off somewhat. I never thought it would but I'm often left feeling like I don't get my money's worth, then again sometimes the design is so beautiful and the quality is nice so I splurge. I'm just mixing things up lately. And I think part of it is that places like Target are offering better design at lower prices - I think good desgin and beauty should belong to all and price never equals that....oh getting off topic here...
I'm reading Deluxe Shimma so no flames from me. I just don't know what I think is worth it to me. I mean I have some designer things but for me the allure and the 'high' has actually worn off somewhat. I never thought it would but I'm often left feeling like I don't get my money's worth, then again sometimes the design is so beautiful and the quality is nice so I splurge. I'm just mixing things up lately. And I think part of it is that places like Target are offering better design at lower prices - I think good desgin and beauty should belong to all and price never equals that....oh getting off topic here...
LOl, I've thought about that long ago too, so if you ever set foot in scandinavia Shimma, let me know. Haha. (Sorry if it sounds creepy haha.)
Well, as I said in the original post, it's a symbiotic relationship. But I don't think that the people who buy fake bags really care about all that.
I think you are right. The risk of losing money is the closest I could think of, but especially with the $10 ones, if the buyers are affluent, that argument is not going to hold much weight.
I thank you and Lee for the kind offers! You know, I have always wanted to visit Scandinavia. I have always lived in a very warm climate, but I have such a strong preference for cooler weather and a frank dislike of heat and humidity that as a child I used to wonder if there had been some cruel mix-up in metabolisms, and somewhere in frosty Lapland, a little girl was shivering...Liberté;3897589 said: