3 ms·

In China, fraud runs rampant. A huge punishment for few unlucky individuals does not change much. You would need systematic enforcement, so that chance of being

by watwut 2y ago

In China, fraud runs rampant. A huge punishment for few unlucky individuals does not change much. You would need systematic enforcement, so that chance of being punished is high - and you don't need super huge punishment for that. Both in USA and Hina, fraud is celebrated and praised on. It is enabled again and again. You see it in Sillicon Valley, you see it in White House and on Wall Street.

garciasn 2y ago
Story from an airline pilot who regularly flew to Beijing and visited a mall that was primarily focused on air crews shopping there. Lots of fraudulently unbranded versions of major brands being sold to these crews at extraordinary discount. Every so often all of the stores would close their store and one would become ‘tribute’. They’d put a table full of whatever product they sold out in front of the closed store and the police would come in, confiscate the limited quantity offered and leave. The stores would reopen a few minutes later and everything would go on as before. The Chinese government touted these ‘raids’ as evidence they were being tough on infringement. Hilarious theatre; just like all fraud and enforcement of it, even here in the US. The government targets a few big names who got caught because of their hubris, sends them to jail, and the world continues doing the same thing.
- Terr_ 2y ago
  I remember markets--nearly malls--of pirated software in Hong Kong during the 90s. I felt little compunction about shopping there, given how much was difficult to get any other way. That said, part of the lackadaisical response is because most of the economic victims were foreign companies. The Chinese police would have acted rather differently if the angry calls for enforcement were coming from Chinese brands and local politicians beholden to those interests.

3 ms·

In China, fraud runs rampant. A huge punishment for few unlucky individuals does not change much. You would need systematic enforcement, so that chance of being

by watwut 2y ago

garciasn 2y ago
Story from an airline pilot who regularly flew to Beijing and visited a mall that was primarily focused on air crews shopping there. Lots of fraudulently unbranded versions of major brands being sold to these crews at extraordinary discount. Every so often all of the stores would close their store and one would become ‘tribute’. They’d put a table full of whatever product they sold out in front of the closed store and the police would come in, confiscate the limited quantity offered and leave. The stores would reopen a few minutes later and everything would go on as before. The Chinese government touted these ‘raids’ as evidence they were being tough on infringement. Hilarious theatre; just like all fraud and enforcement of it, even here in the US. The government targets a few big names who got caught because of their hubris, sends them to jail, and the world continues doing the same thing.
- Terr_ 2y ago
  I remember markets--nearly malls--of pirated software in Hong Kong during the 90s. I felt little compunction about shopping there, given how much was difficult to get any other way. That said, part of the lackadaisical response is because most of the economic victims were foreign companies. The Chinese police would have acted rather differently if the angry calls for enforcement were coming from Chinese brands and local politicians beholden to those interests.