KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Knock-off merchandise may be a bit tougher to find online this holiday season as the federal government gets tough on websites selling counterfeit merchandise.
On Tuesday, the government is launching a campaign to alert people to the dangers of buying fake merchandise, and is cracking down on sellers peddling counterfeit goods.
Authorities say that selling copies of goods without giving credit or money to the real designers and creators is a violation of federal law. In addition, authorities say that the profits generated by the sale of fake merchandise often go to fuel other criminal activity.
On Monday, the government shut down 150 websites accused of selling counterfeit merchandise.