Gucci Is Taking Its Fight Against Counterfeiting To The Next Frontier: The Afterlife

Gucci’s battle against Chinese knockoffs has reached a new plane of existence. The Italian luxury label is warning Hong Kong shopkeepers to stop selling paper lookalikes of its bags, which people burn at funerals and include in the annual celebration of Qingming Jie to accompany their loved ones in the afterlife. The practice of burning joss paper money, called “ghost money,” and papier-mâché replicas of popular goods is common in China. In Chinese tradition, the afterlife mirrors the world of the living, and burning paper items ensures deceased relatives are provided for in death. What people burn has come to reflect which products are popular in China, so more paper replicas of items such as iPhones, internet routers, cigarettes, liquor, and high-end handbags, including Gucci, are going up in flames. Read more at Quartz.