Counterfeit Guitar Bust Yields 861 Gibson Fakes, Ends with Prison Sentence

darrenw5094

Might be against boards rules to discuss fake guitars, but this is up on the offcial Gibson website. 3 years in the slammer for this.

The recent arrest and three-year jail sentencing of Beijing’s Li Dan was a monumental victory against the proliferation of counterfeit guitars. Not only were 1,200 fake guitars seized, but years of efforts on the part of the Gibson, the Electric Guitar Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition (EGACC) – which consists of Fender, Gretsch, Ibanez and Paul Reed Smith – and Chinese legal authorities paid off, leading to the sentencing of Li Dan.

Dan operated paylessguitar.com.cn, paylessguitars.com, musoland.com.cn and musoland.com, web domains that targeted overseas consumers with alluringly inexpensive fake guitars advertised as authentic Epiphone, Fender, Gibson, Gretsch, Ibanez, and Paul Reed Smith brand guitars. Of the 1,200 guitars seized at Li Dan’s warehouse and retail outlet this past fall, 861 were Gibson and Epiphone branded.

http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/counterfeit-guitar-bust-708/

Miklos

Wow, that's big news. Only three years though?

darrenw5094

I couldn't think aof another thread worth talking about today.

wild turkey

darrenw5094 wrote: »

Might be against boards rules to discuss fake guitars ]
Its strange how its against their rules, yet they're advertised on the top of this page

darrenw5094

Its strange how its against their rules, yet they're advertised on the top of this page

Where?

eoin5

Google ads probably

wild turkey

click on Electric Guitar Wholesale

I dont agree with fake copys but then didnt gibson bring out a hendrix strat recently! surely its in the category somewhere
Although I did lust after a gretsch jupiter thunderbird i saw for $300 a while ago

dazberry

Now this begs the question, where Li Dan's fake guitars of better quality than Gibson's current stock ???

Eoin Madsen

darrenw5094 wrote: »

Chinese legal authorities paid off

Taken out of context, I found this amusing.

boycey

dazberry wrote: »

Now this begs the question, where Li Dan's fake guitars of better quality than Gibson's current stock ???

I wonder do Gibson actually have a good look at what these lads are producing, quality wise, with limited resources/cheap materials etc.
I reckon if Henry J and the boys stay in charge of Gibson there will be off-shore/ Chinese manafacturing at some point in the not too distant future.

I really can't see dilution of the brand name causing the bean counters any lack of sleep, the 'Hell Yeah, American made baby!!" Yanks maybe, but I'm sure Chinese/off-shore manafacturing has been under consideration at some point. Come to think of it a new run of Fujigen/Terrada manafactured Orvilles and OBG's would be nice!!