Year in Review I: Katrina and Counterfeits
Whether the culprit was global warming, mysterious astrological conjunctions, or sheer coincidence, 2005 was a bad year for water. We began in the wake of a tsunami in the Indian Ocean and now end with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast -- events which the radiator pipes in my century-old landmark building felt compelled to imitate on a smaller scale, but that's another story.
Our tale is one of U.S. Customs and counterfeits, laws and largesse. It seems that the Bush Administration, while accused of ignoring the good citizens of New Orleans and surrounding areas, was in fact attempting to provide for their needs -- with counterfeit goods. Warehouses full of fake trademarked items were emptied and the infringing contents sent to shelters, where the victims of Katrina were offered knockoff clothing, bedding, and even toys. The Legal Times was kind enough to print my editorial on this curious federal strategy of seizing with one hand and redistributing with the other. For the full text, please click here.
