In Pursuit of Counterfeit Goods
The problem of counterfeit and bootleg goods is of interest to me since a lot of conventions have cracked down hard, thanks to IP holders levying penalties on conventions for tolerating bootlegs in their vendor halls. Although I always did my best to avoid buying bootlegs when stocking for anime conventions, most of my wholesalers never passed any documentation to me beyond the copyright and trademark statements on the packaging of the products they were selling. When I was first selling at anime shows, that was sufficient, but shows are increasingly wanting to see a lot more paperwork proving that licensed goods are indeed authentic. That has led me to move away from licensed products and sell more and more traditional and generic East Asian pop cultural goods.
However, anime figurines, messenger bags, wall scrolls and the like are not the only things the bootleggers are selling. In fact, the mundane market for counterfeit goods like fake Rolex watches and Gucci purses is probably far larger than the otaku market for bootleg Sailor Moon and Studio Ghibli stuff. And where there is crime, there will be people on the lookout for it, gathering evidence for FBI busts.
However, anime figurines, messenger bags, wall scrolls and the like are not the only things the bootleggers are selling. In fact, the mundane market for counterfeit goods like fake Rolex watches and Gucci purses is probably far larger than the otaku market for bootleg Sailor Moon and Studio Ghibli stuff. And where there is crime, there will be people on the lookout for it, gathering evidence for FBI busts.