My rationalization for the *Gucci* bag went up in smoke yesterday upon hearing that New York City police officers seized more than $1 million in knockoff goods in Chinatown. After all, a law is not truly a law, until someone gets busted. Thirty-two illegal stores on Canal, Walker and Centre Streets – what make up the area referred to as the “counterfeit triangle” by law enforcement – were busted and the illegal goods were seized.

As reported in WWD, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced at a press conference that this was one of the largest takedowns of trademark copiers in the city's history.

Bloomberg plans to encourage and enforce New York's get-tough attitude toward counterfeiters.

"Today, the message we're sending to counterfeiting operators and their landlords throughout the city is, whoever you are, wherever you are, we are going to shut you down," Bloomberg said.

For someone like me who justifies knockoffs by thinking, “Gucci makes enough money,” this crack down has made me rethink my rational. If I believe in original creativity, I can no longer pretend that my *Gucci* purchase is a harmless way to get a good deal. It is stealing, and I am surrendering myself to the New York City Police Department.

On second thought, I will just recycle the *Gucci* since I’ve already publically confessed and humiliated myself.