counterfeit

And U.S. authorities seized counterfeit Hermès handbags worth millions.

If at first you don't succeed... A bill proposing jail time or a stiff fine for purchasing counterfeit goods originally proposed in 2011 is getting a new push by New York councilwoman Margaret Chin.

Though the legal system is starting to make waves in preventing the production of counterfeit designer goods, it definitely has a ways to go. In Los Angeles last month, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized 1,500 counterfeit Hermes handbags totaling $14.1 million in value.

So the U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized 20,457 pairs of fake Christian Louboutins at the Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport. That's a helluva lo

Hermes is not messing around when it comes to counterfeits. Last month, the legendary luxury label shut down 34 counterfeit sites--and won $100 million in damages--and now they've helped the French police bust an international crime ring that produced and sold knockoffs of their bags, WWD is reporting. Apparently, the illegal operation was making millions in Hermes counterfeits--one Paris public prosecutor put profits at 18 million euros (or $22 million) for just one branch of the ring--and they were doing it all with the help of actual Hermes employees.

Thinking of buying a Chanel-branded cell phone while vacationing in Paris this summer? (You totally were, right?) Well don't, because you could go to jail for three years, as these clever new anti-counterfeit ads introduced today by French luxury goods association Comité Colbert make plain.

Shopping for fake Louis Vuittons or Chanel bags on Canal street in Chinatown has become a requisite tourist activity. Only now you could go to jail for it. City councilwoman Margaret Chin, who represents the Chinatown district, is introducing a bill this Thursday that proposes harsh punishment for shoppers caught purchasing counterfeits, the New York Post is reporting. Under Chin's bill, that fake LV could cost you $1,000 in fines (still not quite the cost of some of the real deals) or up to a year in prison. Sound harsh? That's the point.

It's hard to keep track of the seemingly countless sample sale sites that promise designer labels and luxury brands at deep discounts. But can you trust them? After hearing that La Lohan (red flag!) had purchased a "beautiful" Balenciaga bag at BeyondTheRack.com, reader Madeleine asked Balenciaga if the site was authorized to sell the luxury brand's merch.