I am surprised a lot that your kids are still trying to understand anyone. My kid is in IGNORE mode the last few years.

I still disagree. I think that there is TON’s of “small” counterfeiting that goes under-reported and so the dollar amounts are never included in figures. I don’t know how anyone can estimate “projected losses” accurately regardless, but I’d be shocked if the totals are less than what’s been published. Sure, maybe the software and entertainment industry numbers are inflated, but how many millions of other customers do OEM or ODM projects in China each year with small to medium sized factories who then take either part or all of their molds and make their own products and sell them to different markets. Small buyers who are in only a single country or two would never know that their product had been ripped off. I get offered products like this all the time!

Maybe my practice of reverse translating? I just try to go back and make the sentence they are saying “Chinese” to see if it makes sense. Then I can personally answer the “meaning” that I get from that–it usually works.

Maybe it was the two unrelated English teacher stories–they just both reminded me of each other, so I though it fit the “things ain’t changing much” motif.

Or, maybe my English just wasn’t clear–wouldn’t be the first time.

All I said was that the dollar damages from counterfeiting are overstated. I did NOT say that counterfeiting is on the decline.