LOTS of people moan about TV rotting the mind, but now and again you get a programme that really changes the way you think about things.
Last night's Dispatches: The Fake Trade was the concluding half of the documentary exposing the real effect of fake designer goods.
I'd always considered fake designer gear a bit tacky, but good if you can get a realistic copy for a decent price.
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And judging by the amount of counterfeit Gucci sunglasses and Louis Vuitton handbags you see around town on a Saturday afternoon, I'm not alone.
It's just the big-name designers losing out after all, I thought, and their goods are over-priced anyway so they can afford it.
But in reality, the fake trade is a far bigger operation - with many more hidden victims - than most of us would have ever considered.
The programme revealed the people you don't think about in the counterfeiting trade, including the slaves forced to work in the factories for little money and in Dickensian conditions.
Then there were interviews with the relatives of people who had died because of fake medicines - truly heart-breaking stuff.
There were even interviews with people who worked as regulators living under the threat of assass-ination from syndicates.
I know I'll never look at those fake Rolex watches the men on the beach sell on holiday in the same way again.
Posted by: graham satchwell on 2:11pm Wed 12 Mar 08
You might recall that I took part in the programme. It is satisfying to see that, on some people at least, the message was not wasted. The greater public awareness can be achieved, the safer we all become. Counterfeit drugs are a real danger to our health. Graham Satchwell
You might recall that I took part in the programme. It is satisfying to see that, on some people at least, the message was not wasted. The greater public awareness can be achieved, the safer we all become. Counterfeit drugs are a real danger to our health. Graham Satchwell
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