France - Crackdown on illegal sales of Eiffel Tower souvenirs

http://now.msn.com/money/0414-eiffel-tower-raid.aspx

On my visit a little over a year ago, I was surprised by how many vendors were under/near the Eiffel Tower selling this sort of garbage. Glad to see that there was a bit of a crackdown, though I don't know how long this will slow down all of the vendors. They probably need to find a better way to stop the stuff from getting into the country in the first place.

They probably need to find a better way to stop the stuff from getting into the country in the first place.

This article (http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/french-police-seize-13-tons-of-small-eiffel-tower-replicas-in-paris/2012/04/13/gIQAdcG2ET_story.html) says French Customs was involved:

The operation, led jointly by French customs, social security and the police transport division, followed several months of surveillance of the souvenir shop.

I saw a small scale crackdown last summer while in Montmartre and visiting the Sacre Coeur. I was sitting on the steps out front while two police officers came rapidly past me on their bicycles and doing an emergency hockey stop to apprehend a couple of "statue" vendors. It was interesting to watch the vendors rapidly grab the corners of the sheet that the wares they were selling were on and try to get away. No such luck. The police officers were successful in nabbing these guys. I'm sure the problem of this stuff is pervasive and very fluid though. You catch what you can and the problem just pops up somewhere else. It sounds like they are now trying to round up some of the ring leaders that are at the center of these enterprises. Paris will be better without them.

I was in Paris about 18 months ago and it seemed all the hawkers of the fake towers (along with Hermes scarves, etc) were at nearly every single tourist site. I hope the crackdown works.

I see no problems with these guys. They´re illegally in the country and therefore canno´t get social security or other benefits. Their only option is to find work at slave-like pay, street vending, begging or serious crime. Out of those street vending seems very harmless to me. I really feel for the poor people who try to make a living by selling water bottles for tourists for a € or so. They don´t pay taxes, and they might annoy the legal merchants but still they´re not harmful IMO.

I see no problems with these guys. They´re illegally in the country and therefore canno´t get social security or other benefits.

Except they can. There is no requirement to be legally a resident to benefit from free healthcare, for example. Not that it is a problem in itself, just correcting some facts.

I guess in the scheme of things I'd rather see these folks flogging cheap souvenirs than fake purses, scarves etc. and I'd rather see them doing that than playing the "mute" or "found ring" scams, or preying directly on visitors by bag-snatching, pick-pocketing, etc.

But the manufactures and importers of copyright violating junk are also making money - probably more than the mules they have selling them.

I don't know, this seems like a bit of overkill on the authorities' part here...

Is there a copyright on the Eiffel Tower, is that the problem? The Eiffel descendants are not making enough income on their cash cow?

All the stuff, even the " authorized" little trinkets are " junk" . Just take a walk on the Rue de Rivoli at one of these Tourist Traps and see all the junky Eiffel Towers as well as France keychains and other ticky tacky garbage.

Leave these guys alone, Say I.

I mean, Rolex watches are one thing, but little Tour Eiffels? Nah.

I guess in the scheme of things I'd rather see these folks flogging cheap souvenirs than fake purses, scarves etc. and I'd rather see them doing that than playing the "mute" or "found ring" scams, or preying directly on visitors by bag-snatching, pick-pocketing, etc.

I'd rather see them bag-snatching and running than taking tourists hostage for ransom. Should we then excuse bag-snatching? You're right that they could conceivably violate the law in more blatant manners, but it doesn't mean the law should be ignored.


But the manufactures and importers of copyright violating junk are also making money - probably more than the mules they have selling them.

26,000 pounds of Eiffel towers were seized (as part of a larger warehouse search that led to confiscate 300 tons of junk). Do you really think this warehouse was operated by just one guy selling his products in the street? Of course, importers were targetted. Manufacturers can't, they don't do anything wrong and are not responsible if their customers import their stuff illegally.


Is there a copyright on the Eiffel Tower, is that the problem? The Eiffel descendants are not making enough income on their cash cow?

The image of the Eiffel Tower is in the public domain, though there is a copyright on certain artistic lighting display at night. Nothing related to this case, a crackdown on illegal import, money laundering and tax duty avoidance.


Leave these guys alone, Say I.


How are they supposed to identify the supplier if they don't arrest the resellers to question them?


I mean, Rolex watches are one thing, but little Tour Eiffels? Nah.

Does your country view tax fraud as leniently as you do? I am looking forward to immigrate there if they let me cheat on my tax without hassle :)

Wow, rather stiff. Richelieu. You are emulating the real one-- (Richelieu) quite humorless and naive as well.

Jaywalking is illegal as well-- want all of those people arrested as well?

So it's not a copyright issue-- strictly one of permits it seems. Probably the same manufacturer in China making all of these cheap Tour Eiffel trinkets, for legal and illegal vendors. Surely there's a better use of police resources.

And it's all junk. The stuff in the stores with permits is pure junk. Pure greed against naive tourists.

Fittingly like the French themselves this issue is complicated.

Why should the vendor who pays rent, staff, utilities and taxes be undercut by illegal stuff sold by a more transient workforce? I for one ignore these street vendors in favor of more permanent businesses most times even if it costs a little more as I would rather support a small business than the alternative.

That is merely MHO.

Wow, rather stiff. Richelieu. You are emulating the real one-- (Richelieu) quite humorless and naive as well.

It wasn't my intention to sound stiff, just to be factual and correct the assumption that they were going after the resellers and ignoring the bigger fish, while they were indeed doing of crackdown of the importers as well.


Jaywalking is illegal as well-- want all of those people arrested as well?


I wouldn't complain if a policeman told me not to do that, and I wouldn't complain if I was fined the maximum theoretical amount of 4 € for jaywalking (this penalty, thought too harsh, was lifted in '10, so jaywalking is no longer illegal in most case). If the penalty for jaywalking was jail, really, I would want my representatives to vote for a more lenient (and more sensible) law...

With regard to permitting and tax evasion, I find the current respective penalties appropriate, so I don't object when the police enforce them.


So it's not a copyright issue-- strictly one of permits it seems. Probably the same manufacturer in China making all of these cheap Tour Eiffel trinkets, for legal and illegal vendors.

As I said, tax evasion (= the stuff they sold came from illegally imported and they evaded the custom rights, plus of course, the importers didn't declare the income linked to these sales) and investigation into money laundering (the gang operating the warehouse was doing other organized crime activities).

It's totally possible it's the same product coming from the same factories. The problem stems from their illegal import and sale, not their origin.


Surely there's a better use of police resources.


I don't know. Tax evasion to the tune of millions seems quite serious to me. Especially when the investigation is easy (as I doubt the reseller would refuse to tell where they get their supplies). And yes, this investigation requires going after the resellers.


And it's all junk. The stuff in the stores with permits is pure junk. Pure greed against naive tourists.

How could a small replica of a building could be anything other than pure junk?