When fashion columnist Lacey Smithsonian learns that a new fashion museum will soon grace decidedly unfashionable D.C., it's more than a good story-it's a chance to show off her vintage Hugh Bentley suit. And it's not long before the dapper designer himself spots Lacey in the crowd. A reporter at heart, she manages to get all the juicy details about his past-including a long-unsolved mystery about a missing employee. Could it be linked to the disappearance of a Washington intern or the recent Bentley boutique robbery? Lacey sets out to unravel the murderous details in a fabric of lies, greed-and (gasp!) very bad taste...

Based on interviews with victims, investigators, and the people who sell counterfeits, "Knockoff" reveals the link between what we see as innocent fakes and organized crime.

From the shopping mall to the corner bistro, knockoffs are everywhere in today's marketplace. Conventional wisdom holds that copying kills creativity, and that laws that protect against copies are essential to innovation--and economic success. But are copyrights and patents always necessary? In The Knockoff Economy, Kal Raustiala and Christopher Sprigman provocatively argue that creativity can not only survive in the face of copying, but can thrive. The Knockoff Economy approaches the question of incentives and innovation in a wholly new way--by exploring creative fields where copying is generally legal, such as fashion, food, and even professional football. By uncovering these important but rarely studied industries, Raustiala and Sprigman reveal a nuanced and fascinating relationship between imitation and innovation. In some creative fields, copying is kept in check through informal industry norms enforced by private sanctions. In others, the freedom to copy actually promotes creativity. High fashion gave rise to the very term "knockoff," yet the freedom to imitate great designs only makes the fashion cycle run faster--and forces the fashion industry to be even more creative. Raustiala and Sprigman carry their analysis from food to font design to football plays to finance, examining how and why each of these vibrant industries remains innovative even when imitation is common. There is an important thread that ties all these instances together--successful creative industries can evolve to the point where they become inoculated against--and even profit from--a world of free and easy copying. And there are important lessons here for copyright-focused industries, like music and film, that have struggled as digital technologies have made copying increasingly widespread and difficult to stop. Raustiala and Sprigman's arguments have been making headlines in The New Yorker, the New York Times, the Financial Times, the Boston Globe, Le Monde, and at the Freakonomics blog, where they are regular contributors. By looking where few had looked before--at markets that fall outside normal IP law--The Knockoff Economy opens up fascinating creative worlds. And it demonstrates that not only is a great deal of innovation possible without intellectual property, but that intellectual property's absence is sometimes better for innovation.

Originally published: New York: Signet, 2004.

“How to Spot a Fake Handbag” is a unique and easy guide, which helps relieve the worry of spending $100's and $100's of dollars buying fake Louis Vuitton or Fake Prada, Fake coach and other handbags online. With this Amazing Guide we Will Show You Exactly What Is the Difference between Authentic Designer handbags and Counterfeit Handbags( both online and offline)! With the advent of the Internet the crimes and scams at a all time high online hustlers are raking in the dirty dollars like never before.Websites like ioffer.com Ebay.com and even amazon.com have become a breeding ground for fake designer merchandise and while there are websites selling the genuine items, there are just as many sellers passing off counterfeit goods as the real thing.Rumor has it that security staff at Louis Vuitton will even confiscate guests’ handbags at their fashion shows if they are suspected fakes (Imagine the embarrassment)! Most Designer Brands....take the problem seriously by hiring watch dog services and investigation companies, But these efforts only combat less than 3% of the total handbags counterfeited Globally. Which is a estimated $8 billion dollar business( Global Counterfeited goods)....... Because of minuscule efforts on the behalf of the brands...Consumers must be pro active in protecting themselves.......Our guide is the 1st line of defense for the savvy consumers.... Some of the tactics, tips and advice in store for you include the following: • This book will reveal all the hidden facts that will help you spot fake handbags even from miles away! • You will get a report which will tell you how to spot a fake Louis Vuitton. • It also includes a report on how to spot a fake Coach bag which will give all the details on the authenticity of coach bags. • It includes a special report on spotting a fake Prada which will help you buying the genuine one. • You’ll get lifetime updates of “How to Spot a Fake Handbag” and that’s absolutely free of charge. After reading our guide you’ll be able to walk into any handbag shop (online or offline) and be armed with the hidden tactics of spotting a fake designer handbag a mile away.

Driven by a counterintuitive thesis that has been highlighted in both The New Yorker and The New York Times¸ The Knockoff Economy is an engrossing and highly entertaining tour through the economic sectors where piracy both rules and invigorates.