# Psssst, wanna buy a watch? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 15, 2004, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psssst-wanna-buy-a-watch/279914 "2004-12-15T03:22:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psssst-wanna-buy-a-watch/279914/1 "2004-12-15T03:22:35Z")
I thought fakes of expensive watches were something you bought on a New York side street from a guy with an overcoat. Now you can buy them online (one example, [http://www.royal-replicas.com/](http://www.royal-replicas.com/)). How do these guys do business without getting their butt sued? Seems like wanton trademark fraud to me. I am very surprised they are doing this so openly. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psssst-wanna-buy-a-watch/279914/2 "2004-12-15T03:26:49Z")
[Read the disclaimer](http://www.royal-replicas.com/disclaimer.php) Is there a lawyer handy? ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psssst-wanna-buy-a-watch/279914/3 "2004-12-15T03:40:46Z")
If you like the watch, I’ve got some genuine Oakley sunglasses for you! :rolleyes: I believe I may also have a bridge in my inventory. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psssst-wanna-buy-a-watch/279914/4 "2004-12-15T04:26:22Z")
I love this passage from the disclaimer: > [@](#): > > We enforce if you are affiliated with or working for a brand name company mentioned either directly or indirectly, or any other related group, or were formally a worker, you cannot enter this web site, cannot access any of its files and you cannot view any of the HTM(L) files. If you enter this site you are not agreeing to these terms and you are violating code 431.322.12 of the Internet Privacy Act signed by Bill Clinton in 1995 and that means that you cannot threaten our ISP(s) or any person(s) or company storing these files, and cannot prosecute any person(s) affiliated with this page which includes family, friends or individuals who run or enter this web site. Read what [Snopes](http://www.snopes.com/legal/privacy.htm) says about this. And this is the oddest injunction to a site’s customers I’ve ever read: > [@](#): > > You have no permission to electronically copy and print hard copies of pages from this Web site solely for personal, non-commercial purposes related to placing an order or shopping with this website. Do you think it’s supposed to mean what it says? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psssst-wanna-buy-a-watch/279914/5 "2004-12-15T05:51:19Z")
> [@Exapno Mapcase](#): > > Do you think it’s supposed to mean what it says? If you mean “does that mean you can’t print your confirmation page so that you can take legal action when your Feiko doesn’t show up?”, then yes. However, it appears to be a typo; I think the author has substituted “except” for “solely” in the sentence you quoted. The disclaimer goes on to state that since the watches aren’t _exact_ copies (which I presume to mean that the movements are produced in Taiwan using recycled pushpins) the operators of the site are immune to prosecution. They’ve definitely copied the logos directly, though, which would certainly entitle the holders of said logos to a portion of the proceeds, I think. These things are going for upwards of $200 as well! You can get _exact_ copies of certain Rolex models (down to the movements) for less than that in Dubai (although Board rules prohibit me from saying where 😛 ) ---
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psssst-wanna-buy-a-watch/279914/6 "2004-12-15T05:52:37Z")
> [@Exapno Mapcase](#): > > Read what [Snopes](http://www.snopes.com/legal/privacy.htm) says about this. Man, they just cribbed that passage from some other poor schlub. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psssst-wanna-buy-a-watch/279914/7 "2004-12-15T16:39:16Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > I thought fakes of expensive watches were something you bought on a New York side street from a guy with an overcoat. Side street? Hardly. The best place in New York for this sort of thing is Canal Street, a nice, wide, river-to-river thoroughfare where you buy your fake Rolex from a huge display on the sidewalk. Side streets are for other illegal items… ---
**Author:** ![5que](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/3bc359/32.png) [@5que](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5que)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psssst-wanna-buy-a-watch/279914/8 "2004-12-15T17:58:37Z")
I get at least three spam e-mails a day for these things. I am not interested. All my money is going to help this guy in Nigeria… ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psssst-wanna-buy-a-watch/279914/9 "2004-12-17T02:13:02Z")
Great posts, moving the topic along. But my real question is–how can these guys continue to do business so publicly when what they are doing is blatantly trademark fraud?