For Bahamian straw vendors and other New York tourists, picking up a knockoff Chanel bag in Chinatown is a trip highlight.
But that could soon change.
The city councilwoman whose district includes Chinatown recently proposed making the purchase of counterfeit goods a crime, punishable by a $1,000 fine and a jail term of up to a year.
The legislator, Margaret Chin, says the law is necessary to deter counterfeiters, and that buyers of counterfeit goods cost the city around $1 billion in tax revenue annually.
Unsurprisingly, the backlash from Canal Street shoppers has been huge.
Business Insider ventured down to Chinatown to survey the counterfeit scene.
