Don’t hike tobacco tax
As the state Legislature and Gov. Tom Wolf continue to negotiate spending, taxes and the state budget, tobacco taxes remain on the table as an option.The problem with increasing taxes on tobacco is this rarely brings in the projected revenue to sustain adequate, long-term funding for government programs.
Tobacco taxes are an unreliable source of funding because once taxes increase, adult consumers often find other ways to purchase the product — across state lines, where it’s less expensive, or through the Internet.
http://triblive.com/opinion/letters/8891161-74/tobacco-taxes-state#axzz3jS7VbFE6
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Fake Ouye PS4 console is shocking, even for China
China loves to produce a fake product or two, but this could be the most blatant attempt that we have seen this year, doing no favors to their reputation.
Believe it or not, a company over in China are asking for cash on a Chinese Kickstarter type website for the Ouye console.It is an Android-based console which reportedly has been marketed as having a ‘unique design’ that took 6 months to conjure up.
http://www.product-reviews.net/2015/08/17/fake-ouye-ps4-console-is-shocking-even-for-china/
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Public must expose counterfeiting to ensure safety
The Management of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) have appealed to the public to volunteer information on people who deal in counterfeit products to help eliminate the menace from the system.
The management made the appeal at a day’s forum with stakeholders and the media in Takoradi to solicit public views and work together to arrest the counterfeiting of drugs and food items.
Lear MoreI Bought a Fake Nikon DSLR: My Experience with Gray Market Imports
So, the Nikon D7000 I bought, brand new in early 2014, is a fake. Unbeknownst to me until very recently, of course. Let’s start at the beginning it being the most logical and traditional place to start.
I’d been shooting with my trusty old D70 for a good few years since I got into photography and felt it was about time to upgrade and start taking this whole silly hobby thing a bit more seriously. I settled upon a D7000 and, in February 2014, made a purchase from an online retailer who deals specifically with those mysterious and opinion-stirring items: The Gray Market Import.
http://petapixel.com/2015/08/14/i-bought-a-fake-nikon-dslr-my-experience-with-gray-market-imports/
Lear MoreBeware of fake organic farm produce; A panel exposes the weak certification system
Worried over fake organic farm produce entering into domestic markets without being tested and certified properly, a parliamentary panel on Thursday suggested stringent punishment for individuals and entities involved in pushing non-organic products as organic (chemical pesticide-free) farm produce to buyers.
The panel also recommended that the government should put in place a strict monitoring mechanism so that it does not affect international trade as India has potential to boost export of organic products to Rs 6,000 crore from the existing level of Rs 1,825 crore.
Lear MoreTwo prosecutions highlight seriousness of tobacco smuggling
Two investigations into the illicit importation of tobacco by the Australian Border Force (ABF) have successfully concluded with both offenders prosecuted in Western Australian courts on Monday 10 August 2015.In one case, a 52-year-old Perth man was sentenced by the Perth’s Magistrates Court to 12 months imprisonment for his role in the importation of over 110kg of undeclared molasses tobacco. In a separate matter, a 38-year-old man from Melbourne was sentenced by the Perth District Court to 15 months imprisonment for evasion of duty and GST relating to the attempted possession of almost 515kg of undeclared molasses tobacco.
http://newsroom.border.gov.au/releases/two-prosecutions-highlight-seriousness-of-tobacco-smuggling
Fake or Original, Nigeria
That Nigeria’s economy is ravaged by substandard and counterfeit goods is no longer news. What is perhaps disturbing is the continuous influx of these fake products into the markets in the face of seeming hapless regulatory agencies despite their efforts. Today, for almost all items in the market, you have original and fake products displayed side by side, mostly with impunity, and the consumers have to decide, depending on their choice and purse size. Unfortunately so, the prevalence of these counterfeit products is one of the biggest challenges facing marketing and brands development in the country as the counterfeit “industry” continues to stifle creativity and entrepreneurial development. The tragedy remains however that there is hardly any product in the Nigerian market that is not either faked or its quality sub-standard when compared with the original, especially for every fast selling genuine product- they are either pirated or reproduced almost similar to the original without regards for standards and specifications. Nigeria seems to have accepted to be a dumping ground for all kinds of goods from different parts of the world. From toothpaste to vehicle spare parts; computers and ICT products to building materials; cars to hand kerchiefs and towels; keys and padlocks to foods and drugs among others, and even expertise, and this is telling bad on the economy and the consumers.
http://businessdayonline.com/2015/07/between-fake-and-original-products-who-rescues-nigerian-consumers/#.Va31m6Sqqko
Fake Cosmetics on eBay
It’s a serious issue. A great deal of the makeup products sold on eBay are fake or illegally obtained, and some are potentially harmful to human health. And many of these fake products come from China, as was the case for the more than $1 million in fake MAC cosmetics sold by a Florida woman who was caught, and has now been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison. As part of her sentence, she was also ordered to pay MAC $961,744.75. Tina Oleszczuk, 45, of New Port Richey, sold the counterfeits over a two-year period through her company Cozmetic Delights LLC, to wholesalers, and via eBay, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1672698-is-fake-m-a-c-makeup-from-ebay-clogging-your-pores/
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Toyota drags retailers to court for allegedly selling fake airbag accessories
Toyota Australia on Monday initiated legal proceedings against them for allegedly selling fake airbag accessories. The lawsuit, which was filed in the Federal Court by the Japanese-owned company, follows a six-month investigation into what Toyota claims are counterfeit parts being sold in place of genuine Toyota accessories. In a statement on Monday, Toyota Australia said it will argue before the court the actions of the two unnamed retailers amount to “trademark infringement” and “misleading and deceptive conduct”. “We are concerned that customers have been misled into believing they have purchased a genuine Toyota part,” the car maker said. The legal action relates to allegedly counterfeit airbag spiral cables, which Toyota said are of inferior quality and have not undergone the same “rigorous testing” as genuine Toyota parts.
Lear MoreKenya: The Man On a Mission to Shine Light On Fake Goods
From fake phones to illicit alcoholic drinks, the Kenyan market has been raided by unscrupulous traders who are turning counterfeiting into a multi-billion shillings business. For Mr Haron Kiriba to succeed in his business of importing special light bulbs that can stay on for about six hours after a power blackout, he knew that he had to surmount the potential influx of fakes. “The light bulb can tell the difference between lights off and lights out. And if after an outage you want to switch the lights off, you simply flick the socket and it detects that to mean lights off,” he said, adding that the bulb goes for Sh1,500. Mr Kiriba, who is the chief executive of OrigiCheck, said he had to first get it right in terms of assuring his customers of the legitimacy of the bulb before it hit the market.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201508111354.html
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