New York City Destroys Counterfeit Clothing and Shoes Instead of Giving to Those in Need

by Katie Hintz-Zambrano (Subscribe to Katie Hintz-Zambrano's posts)
Posted Jan 13th 2010 at 4:30PM

Fashion closet dump and run. Photo: Getty Images

Unfortunately, it's not just H&M and Walmart that are being called out for discarding perfectly good clothing.

In 2009, officials in New York City reportedly destroyed tons of new, unworn clothing and shoes acquired after raiding counterfeit operations in the Big Apple, according to the New York Times.

Up until April 2009, seized counterfeit designer clothing (not including fake watches and handbags) had their labels removed and logos defaced (with permission from the trademark holders) before being donated to not-for-profits like World Vision and New York City Clothing Bank, says the article.

After April, however, the New York Police Department allegedly used an industrial shredder to ruin "a dozen tractor-trailer loads of bootleg goods" along with sending additional unworn clothes -- including winter jackets, pants, underwear and shirts -- to be burned for $150/ton in Long Island, NY, reports the source.

Paul J. Browne, an NYPD spokesman, claims that the clothing was destroyed because they hadn't received any requests for the items, a charge that the NYC Clothing Bank denies.

One of the conspiracy theories behind the clothing dump involves New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg's campaign to fight trademark infringement in the city, combined with the fact that the fashion and licensing industries donate large sums of money to the NYPD in hopes that the fight against counterfeiters will continue.

"These are people who spend hundreds of thousands of dollars, some of them millions, to get counterfeit goods off the street," Robert Tucker, a lawyer whose fashion clients include Chrome Hearts, Steve Madden, Zac Posen and Ed Hardy tells the Times.

"Everyone wants to feed and clothe the homeless. But how are you going to spend all this money and then put it back on the street?"

Yet one result of not putting the defaced goods back on the street has been a shortage of goods for those in need, especially men who rely on the clothing more than women.

So what do you think of the NYPD's actions: Is destroying unworn clothing ever justified? Leave a comment!

And you might be shocked at what's lurking on brand new clothes.

Read All Comments

Filed under: News
Tags: clothing donations, copyright infringement, counterfeit goods, destroyed clothing, New York City, Unsold Clothing

Style Around the Web

ImaxTree

Make Up Tips For Girls With Glasses - Refinery29
How Celebs Work Red Into Their Wardrobe - FabSugar
Celebrity Wardrobe Malfunctions - The Daily Beast
Deodorants that Actually Work - Daily Candy
Would You Wear Long-Sleeve Shirts As Skirts? - The Frisky
Tricks That Guarantee Gorgeous Hair - Daily Makeover
Celebs Have Us Seeing Stars - People Style Watch

READER COMMENTS

(52)Add A Comment

Pnut, 1-16-2010, 2:15PM

I have taken bags of clothes and set them on a corner where poor people live.
If you give them to goodwill they have to pay. I can not believe anyone would
destroy clothes that people need. shameful

Reply »

poot, 1-16-2010, 6:13PM

No offense, but just leaving it somewhere isn't getting it to people that need it, it's simply getting it to whoever gets there first, who, I guarantee you, takes all of it whether they need it or not. Call a homeless shelter or an organization like Catholic Charities or St. Vincent dePaul. If they won't take them, they can send you in the right direction.

King David, 1-16-2010, 6:45PM

Wonder what they would do if there were counterfeit Krispy Kreme donuts???

j mccoy, 1-16-2010, 4:44PM

I find it hard to believe the excuse that there were no requests for the confiscated clothing given the number of homeless, poor and out of work people there must be in the city of New York. The clothes are still being taken off the market, so the manufacturers don't have any excuse either for wanting the items destroyed. Especially at this time of the year it seems like a sinful waste to destroy perfectly good clothing when there are so many people in need. Obviously, these are people who have no sense or compassion.

Reply »

fred, 1-16-2010, 2:29PM

I do not give to goodwill because alot odf the clothes gets cut up for rags. I used to buy boxes of rags and found lots of pants and shirts brand new and cut in half. Makes you sick to see the waste. The clothes can be mared as fake and still be worn instead of trashed. Big government NEVER get it right.

Reply »

mecal05, 1-16-2010, 8:14PM

What?? That statement is completely illogical. You don't give to Goodwill because they cut the clothes up into rags? That makes no sense. Do you really believe Goodwill is going to cut up perfectly good clothing to keep people from buying it? Why on Earth would they do that? If you ever did find something that was once clothing but then cut into rags, I guarantee the item(s) was/were destroyed beyond mending- which, come to think of it, is a positive thing; instead of throwing it away, they are re-using everything so truly nothing is wasted. For what reson could Goodwill possibly have to shred the donated clothing? Please don't tell me you actually believe this, and please do us all a favor and stop spreading this nonsense myth around so that other gullible people such as youself do not catch wind of it and therefore stop donating to charities as well, and therefore keeping those whom are actually unfortunate and in need of organizations such as Goodwill to help them.

Riley Lloyd, 3-11-2010, 6:24PM

they sell the cloth from shredded items to factorys or painters i have worked at tihs doing volunteer work for a local outfit of the sort and it is common practice to use shirts that are far from ready for the garbage to be used for this purpose true story

daniel, 1-16-2010, 2:47PM

it is never the right thing to do to destroy anything someone else can use, and what is it with all these new york people destroying cloths and things i think it is BS what they are doing

Reply »

Karain, 1-16-2010, 10:24PM

Daniel...what are you saying? "All these NY people"?
I'm a NYer and I never destroyed anythong anyone could possibly wear.Matter of fact when we were moving once and there was no time to take stuff to Good Will I stll took it outside and packed some shoes in a clear bag so whomeve saw them could take them.I was angry with my husband for not asisting me with them.(though it was me who ws moving so slowly, I admit)
But this article is not saying ALL of NYC is doing this wasteful practice!
Please re-read it.
The NYPD said no one asked for it.
*Perhaps*PERHAPS, no one did--buit they still should have sent it to The Salvation Army,St.Vincent DePaul, GoodWill or a homeless shelter!

bob, 1-16-2010, 2:45PM

If the "trademark" owner does not approve, the police or anyone else in law enforcement cannot donate them to the needy. It is against the law.

Reply »

jay, 1-16-2010, 3:16PM

really, bob? ... could you post the link to the law? read the article again or have someone read it to you and perhaps you'll better comprehend it ... the nypd didn't donate the clothes because they supposedly had no requests for them

rankeesee, 1-16-2010, 4:03PM

15 USC 1118 is the law providing for the destruction of counterfeit items, not simply the destruction of the label, but the destruction of the item.

ssjtus, 1-16-2010, 5:34PM

Even if it is against the law, is it a good law? I think not. Sales for the manufacturers won't go down and they will not lose any money if the are donated to the homeless and those in need.

digger, 1-16-2010, 2:48PM

Imagine a bum asking for a dollar while wearing a ( fake ) Armani suit...........

Reply »

Escalonz, 1-16-2010, 3:25PM

I'm sure that destroyed clothing would have been appreciated by the Haitian survivors. Such waste and so sad out so called authorities make such bum decisions....

Reply »

rperr80447@aol.com, 1-16-2010, 3:21PM

Should send it to Haiti

Reply »

dajerryguy, 1-16-2010, 3:23PM

These counterfeit items AT NO TIME are the property of the copyright company, like Nike or Gucci. The clothing or whatever is the property of the counterfeiter! The crime consists of putting the counterfeit LABEL on the items. Therefore, it is enough to destroy just the counterfeit labels. They can be blacked out or removed and presto! The clothing may be legally given away to the needy without any crime taking place! Anyone with a trace of intelligence should know this! The crime consists of false labeling, not making the clothing or shoes. So I hope the cops will do the right thing and destroy just the counterfeit labels, and give the perfectly good clothing to the needy. Slam dunk, if a little intelligence and thought are used.

Reply »

Dean, 1-16-2010, 4:07PM

When these clothes are donated with the labels removed a lot of them end up with new counterfit labels back on them and sold as the real mccoy.This done by corrupt charities and by fake homeless people organized to scam legit charities.Law enforcement has at times confiscated the SAME items more than once.I have personally went in to some of these charitable organizations and seen the items I donated priced higher than what i paid for it originally.It's disgusting how much corrution is really out there.
This why I buy no clothes,sunglasses,etc at fairs or open air street markets or flea markets.(95% or more is fake or crap made in china anyway)

Reply »