Posted on 07/01/2010 7:58:46 AM PDT by ConservativeStatement
PARIS — French police have struck a blow to a black-market trade that has long flourished in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower: informal peddling of mini tower replicas.
Police detained 39 people in breaking up a Chinese-run ring of illegal Senegalese immigrants accused of selling unauthorized Eiffel Tower souvenirs, a spokeswoman for the Paris police headquarters said Thursday.
Several vendors were arrested at or near the tower itself in the raids this week, while their Chinese employers were detained in offices and a building used for storing the merchandise, the spokeswoman said. She was not authorized to be publicly named because of Paris police policy.
(Excerpt) Read more at bostonherald.com ...
No matter where chicoms go, they always subvert the law.
Thank God the souvenirs are safe! Meanwhile, the Parisian suburbs are in flames...
I’m surprised the trinket saleseman were tolerated as long as they were - they do everything put their hand in your pocket.
they do everything BUT put their hand in your pocket.
I got my Eiffel tower replica at King’s Dominion theme park in Virginia; so IT’S legit, right?...
;-)
The offense is copyright infringement?
I would think that the Eiffel Tower is in the public domain. Of course, in France the smiley face is copyright protected (unlike in the U.S.) even though it clearly originated in the U.S.
Isn’t that the truth?
I was just in Paris in April and bought these illegal souvenirs. In my defense, I am a poor college student. I had seen these same exact Eiffel Tower replicas in the stores and they were a Euro each. These illegal vendors were selling them for 5 for a Euro. I just thought they were cheaper...didn’t realize they were illegal!
Side note..they think by calling you “sexy” or “hot”, that you will buy any or more. And they don’t take “no” for an answer. They will follow you and you have to really be rude for them to get the picture that you don’t want to buy whatever they are selling! BUT! At least they talked to you and appreciated your business. The French were stuck up and rude if you didn’t speak French even if it was obvious you were a tourist. That was my personal experience there!
Muslims are taking over the entire nation and the French are worried about who is profiting from little nick nacks!! Sounds just about right for a country which greeted Hitlers army with flowers and cheers.
Do you have a license for your minkey?
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