Moscow
Russia is cracking down on bootleggers and black marketeers in an effort to win an invitation into the World Trade Organization. A new trademark law that took effect last week is supposed to make it easier to trace the $20 billion worth of fake goods sold in Russia each year. But police say it will be an uphill fight, as at least half of all products in Russia—from bootleg vodka and medicines to knockoff shoes, furniture, and cosmetics to pirated copies of software—are either counterfeit or smuggled. “Basically, everything is fake,” Alexander Sheremekh, vice president of the Coalition for Protection of Intellectual Property, told the South China Morning Post. “You can hardly find a product that isn’t.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.