Guest speakers Frank Abagnale and Valerie Salembier.
“I’ve seen the worst of the worst,” said Harper’s Bazaar senior vice-president Valerie Salembier at yesterday’s AntiCounterfeiting Summit, hosted by Harper’s Bazaar. “Once, someone tried to sell me something labeled ‘Prado.’ I couldn’t believe it.” But most shoppers aren’t as scrupulous, she says, and she supports France’s practice of fining people who purchase fakes. In fact, New York may soon have a similar law: “The mayor wants to pass a bill that fines the buyer of a counterfeit product,” she explained, citing a recent article in the Post. “So all of those people from Des Moines who go to Chinatown and are somewhat innocent — or not! — fine them $1,000 [for buying counterfeit goods].”
