For those who thought that Asia is heaven if you want to buy big brands for less, then you might consider travelling to another country.
The South American country Peru is a heaven for pirated stuff, from computer games to clothing, you can buy it over there. The police does about 3 raids a week, and that's not much in a country where you can buy pirated stuff on every corner in the city.
What's the secret in a country where the minimum monthly wage is $117 and 54 percent of Peru's 26 million people live on $1.25 a day or less? |
It's all fake.
While the traffic of pirated goods -- illegally copied videos and software, clothes with false labels, sham toys -- is a worldwide phenomenon, dealers and shoppers in this poor Andean nation say the trade is booming as hard times make originals unaffordable and technology facilitates reproductions.
``Selling originals just doesn't work because of the (economic) situation. One CD costs 63 soles ($18) -- with that much you could feed a family for a week,'' said David, 17, whose tiny stand is packed with pirated CDs that go for about 10 soles ($3) apiece and music videos.
He won't reveal his last name though because he, like the hundreds of vendors up and down the aisles nearby, fears he will be identified by police, who occasionally raid markets and street vendors to confiscate illegal merchandise.
``It's a risk,'' David shrugs. But in a country where 50 percent of the workforce are unemployed or under employed, that's a risk he says is worth taking.
The demand for cheaper, pirated goods is even higher in Peru as consumers pare back on full-price luxuries amid a three-year economic downturn. Officials forecast near-zero economic growth for this year.
Source: Yahoo.com
