Nintendo just sent out a press release crowing about big busts against those who broker in counterfeit Pokémon trading cards.
BELLEVUE, Wash.—April 7, 2008 – Pokémon USA, Inc., a worldwide leader in trading card games, today announced the results of recent anti-piracy actions taken in cooperation with Nintendo of America Inc. to combat the production and distribution of counterfeit Pokémon® Trading Card Game products. On March 26, law enforcement officials in New York raided seven stores known to be selling fraudulent Pokémon Trading Card Game merchandise. Thousands of products were seized and several arrests were made. In early April, one action at a production facility in China secured nearly 1.2 million counterfeit cards and investigations continue.These bits of paper with easily copied numbers and art, made valuable only through contrived scarcity will not— I repeat: will not—be allowed to fall in the hands of our children, or as Nintendo prefers to call them, "Our Lil'est Consumers."During the past 16 months, more than 47 million counterfeit products have been seized at production facilities in Thailand, Singapore, Poland, Italy, the Czech Republic, Australia, and China. One seizure in China in 2007 netted more than 26 million illegally produced cards. Nintendo and Pokémon will continue to target the retailers and manufacturers trafficking in counterfeit Pokémon product.
“Pokémon wants to send a message to importers and producers that we will not stand for the distribution of fraudulent Pokémon product,” [This aggression will not stand, man! – Ed.] says Pokémon spokesperson, J.C. Smith. “Pokémon is committed to ensuring our fans receive the quality product they've come to expect.”
I tease—mostly—but I just love the incongruence of a personified corporate Pokémon raising its electric yellow paw to the heavens and bellowing out a warning of "no quarter."
Image: Pokemonholic.com
