Originally Posted by
Kia
ok, so how can you tell the difference between a lookalike and a fake bag? Aren't look alikes made to look exactly like the real thing? are lookalikes illegal? please explain...
Many people have their own definition of what constitutes a knockoff. Essentially, a knockoff, which is what you are trying to buy, is an item made to replicate the same item of another seller, while carrying that designers brand name. And YES, THIS IS ILLEGAL. Stealing someone's intellectual property is illegal whether it is a bag or an idea that is not yet made into a product. Now there are DESIGNER INSPIRED bags, which are made to look like a popular bag but do not carry the designer's name, like Dolce & Gabanna. This may or may not be illegal (it depends) as long as it does not bear the designer's name, but it is obvious still that you are carrying a designer inspired bag. Some knockoffs are not obvious, like most Louis Vuitton bags, while others are disturbingly poor in quality (seams coming apart, polyurethane instead of leather, the color being off, to name a few). The profits made from the sale of knock-offs are said to support money-laundering activities, crime, and child-labor. Hope that helps, as I am a bag fanatic and really it is based on your morals and ethics whether you want to carry a knock-off or a designer-inspired bag, I'm not here to judge you.