I think it's finally time to delete my Slashdot account. It's crazy that a post with falsehoods, unsubstantiated claims, and simplistic emotionally potent anti-materialistic views gets modded up like this. Whatever happened to intelligent rational discussions based in facts? Not this counterfeiter apologist bullshit. Fraud is wrong and that's the bottom line.

I can not believe this has to be said but here it goes:

[authoritative citation needed]

Sorry, but the real handbags and boots have warranties. You don't know what you're talking about.

Now you're just splitting hairs and your argument has slipped to nitpicking.

Tell that to the companies that get warranty request from people who have bought the knock-offs. Then tell that to the poor consumers who thought they bought a legitimate product that should be under warranty.

[citation needed]

You don't know anything about the current state of affairs. The counterfeiters are not selling things made in the same factories, nor from the same materials, nor from the same designs. About the only thing that is the same is the labels and trademarks. The products are "fake" in every sense of the word. They're only made to resemble the product so that a sale can be made. When it's online they use pictures of the actual products but send out something that resembles but is not the product. If they were coming from the same factories that would be theft, not fraudulent counterfeits. I'm fairly sure the factories are not that incompetent, they'd know when inventory went missing. That's not the problem -- the problem is fraud.

I agree that the problem is with the legal framework and enforcement, but quality is still the difference. A fake product is fake! Just because it looks similar doesn't make it the same. That's a crazy notion.

You couldn't be more wrong! I've had a family member buy counterfeit UGG boots and the difference in quality, craftsmanship, and materials is laughable. On the one hand you have a boot that is made from lamb skin, its durable, water proof and most of all it has a warranty from the manufacture. But the other was made from cotton, was already falling apart, was not water proof by any stretch of the imagination. Worst of all it had exact copies of the UGG Australia labels, do you think UGG Australia should have to provide warranty services for counterfeit boots?!? This isn't about perceived value. There is real value in brand products and you'd be a fool to think otherwise. Sure you can buy a PC that looks like an Apple, but it isn't an Apple! If someone puts an Apple sticker on a PC and sells it as an Apple, that's FRAUD! The difference isn't a trick by the brand to get you to buy it. The brand is there so you know it's a legit product. That's the difference.

Exactly counterfeit goods are a big deal for companies and consumers. There is a need to prevent these counterfeiters from tricking consumers, but SOPA is not the solution. Just do a google search for "cheap uggs" the first result is a warning from UGG Australia about counterfeiters and the second result is a counterfeiter selling "fake" uggs. Unfortunately this does need to be stopped! However, I can't think of a way that would not compromise the Internet and civil liberties, etc.

And unless you are constantly drunk, what does it matter? Or some super uncoordinated clumsy person -- gee, I hope they don't let you drive a car.

I've never dropped my phones. I had an HTC back before the iPhone, then an original iPhone and now a iPhone 4. I use minimal cases and never ever drop them. Not once have I broke a phone. All of them are still 100% functional.

But why not have the phone just in case? Plus the cellular data connection is convenient and SMS how most people communicate now.

I agree with this. 99% of the time I don't need the phone functionality. I'd prefer to communicate via txt message. I have a smart phone because it's a general purpose communication device (web, email, SMS, Facebook, phone, etc) a media consumption device (web, music, videos, Hulu, Netflix, Spotify, books), it is also a camera, a programmable remote control, an alarm clock, a flashlight, a notepad, a todo list, and a guitar amp stack. And, YES I use it for all of those things. It saves me from having to own single purpose devices that I _really_ don't need and would otherwise have to carry everywhere.

Chrome's marketing is downright deceptive. After running a test on speedtest.net you'd be presented with a ad for Chrome that read something like: "Internet speed not what you expected? Try a faster browser." That's, in my opinion, a lie. Google isn't the saint we thought it was. It's a fucking advertising company. That's worse than any operating system or office suite company that was once the market leader.

Actually, Proxima Centauri is the nearest known star to the Sun. I guess I'm just splitting hairs though...