Sean
"Diddy" Combs is firing the first shot in a war against those selling
counterfeit versions of his Sean John Canada clothing line.On
Tuesday (Dec. 5), the company launched "Don’t Buy a Lie," an anti-counterfeit
campaign designed to promote and generate awareness about the country’s counterfeiting
issues through an alliance with Canadian media, celebrities, retailers and consumers.Celebrities
involved in the program include Diddy, Chris Bosh of the Toronto Raptors, Judge
Farley Flex, Kardinal Offishall, DJ Starting From Scratch, video producer Little
X, actor Degrassi and Hip-Hop artist Drake."Canadian
consumers need to know what they are buying is authentic," Rosa Costa, Sean
John Canada president and general manager, told AllHipHop.com in a statement.
"Counterfeits are poorly constructed, made of cheap fabric and use flimsy
hardware. They do not deliver Sean John’s hallmark of high quality; and we are
committed to driving awareness as we do not want our consumers fooled."Counterfeit
items have run rampant throughout the Canadian market. The
trade has cost the Canadian apparel industry millions of dollars each year. Sean
John is among a number of companies affected by knockoff versions of clothing
sold at flea markets, street corners, retail stores and Internet sites.As
a result, the clothing giant’s Canadian distributor Multigroup acquired legal
and investigative services to combat the problem. The
action resulted in the seizure of thousands of pieces of Sean John clothing by
local authorities.To
ensure buyers get legitimate Sean John apparel, the campaign will incorporate
exclusive hang tags color-coded by season, counter cards at cash registers and
stickers in storefronts at authorized dealers. The
tag colors, which will change seasonally with shipments, can be verified online
at www.dontbuyalie.com."Don’t
Buy a Lie" counter cards advising customers to look for the hang tags when
purchasing Sean John can be found in all authorized Sean John dealers. "Our
hope is that the Don’t Buy a Lie program is a vehicle for educating consumers
who are buying counterfeit goods," said Lorne M. Lipkus, an anti-countefeiting
attorney. "Consumers are supporting makers who operate in non-authorized
factories with deplorable labor conditions that have no respect for standards
set forward by many national and international agencies. Not only do they have
no code of conduct, but they do not respect minimum salaries, and very often use
child labor."Selling
fake products can result in criminal charges as well as charges under the Copyright
Act and Customs Act. A
conviction under copyright law could result in a $1-million fine and five years
in prison.