CONTACTS: John Reid/ Rebecca Wilder
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Wednesday, August 23, 2007           

 

U.S. Chamber and Law Enforcement Join Forces to Fight Counterfeiters and Pirates
LA Police Raid Santee Alley

 

LOS ANGELES, CA—The United States Chamber of Commerce applauds the Los Angeles Police Department which seized over $10 million in fake products and arrested 5 vendors in Los Angeles’ infamous Santee Alley, an area known for its counterfeit and pirated goods.  This raid was part of the U.S. Chamber’s initiative to crack down on counterfeiting and piracy, which has a detrimental impact on businesses, consumers, and the economy.

 

“Law enforcement doesn’t have enough resources or time to do all the leg work. That’s why the U.S. Chamber and industry are doing all we can to assist them in building cases and getting these crooks off the streets,” said Caroline Joiner, executive director of the Chamber’s Global Anti-Counterfeiting and Piracy Initiative. “Forming public-private partnerships and joining forces has provided the essential ingredients to move the ball forward on the growing threat of counterfeiting and piracy.”

 

The arrests are a result of several weeks’ worth of work by local investigators from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and the apparel industry. The private investigators executed and recorded undercover purchases of the illicit goods, collected the evidence, and referred the cases to local authorities.

 

 During today’s raid, one of the suspects pulled a knife on an MPAA investigator.  The suspect was later arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and piracy charges.  “We are fortunate that no one was hurt,” said Joiner.  “But this shows that what most consider a petty crime, is, in fact, perpetrated by often ruthless and dangerous criminals.”

 

This latest law enforcement effort coincides with a week-long series of educational events hosted by the U.S. Chamber to draw attention to the threats of counterfeiting and piracy and to highlight the work of Mayor Villaraigosa and the L.A. Anti-Piracy Task Force.

 

The Chamber has implemented a global multi-million dollar initiative to thwart the growing threat of counterfeiting and piracy, to protect public health and safety, defend the rights of businesses, and establish fair competition in the global marketplace. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.

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