ILLEGAL MERCHANDISE

After watching internet auctions for ten years, I guess I have finally reached the breaking point on seeing all the forgeries (documented on another page of this website), unauthorized reproductions and unlicensed merchandise which dominates these auctions and other sites. Below are knockoffs and illegal merchandise which I encourage you not to purchase. The risk of having this page is that it will actually encourage people to find this junk and buy it. I hope your ethics are stronger than that. DON'T BUY THIS STUFF! All these items were for sale on a single day. It should give you some idea what to avoid buying, but I do not intend to try to catalog every piece of garbage for sale. Occasionally I will update the page, but understand this is not intended to be a complete list -- it's just a sampling.

	These are among the most bootlegged posters. Two or three are copies of originals, but some are not. Note that the last one (Alpine Valley) is the most bootlegged of all the fake posters.
	The seller originally claimed this is "Stevie's necklace" and is asking $700 for a $30 pendant. This is not Stevie's necklace. In response to my complaint, the seller has inserted the word "replica" in his description.
	Recordings of Stevie's talk at Alcoholics Anonymous. Not only is it illegal to sell these recordings, but it is highly distasteful and offensive.
	Copies of original artwork. The original artworks, no matter how awful they look, are legal to sell; the copies are not. Those shown are among the most prolific offenders. Some of these incorporate photographic images without authorization.
	The first five items shown have the added attraction of having a fake forgery included! Not only was the original a forgery, this is a photocopy of the forgery! Twice the rip-off for your money. Reprints of promotional or other photos without the photographer's or copyright owner's permission are illegal. On a search of all the photos of SRV on eBay, I didn't find any which looked like they were legal. If you want a legal, high-quality photo of Stevie, there is a list of contacts for photographers in the back of my new book.
	Other illegal products: mousepads, wallet, clock, stickers, sign, magnets, watches, dollar (illegal on multiple levels), lighters, decal, dogtag, keychains, license plates and plate frames, home-decorated toy cars, guitar parts,  Not shown: buttons, pins, whiskey flasks, ashtrays,
	Unlicensed and illegal shirts. The second image is also on an illegal purse or tote bag.
	Most of these passes are not even copies of real passes. The first two may be copies of a real pass, and the black/white SRV/Cocker pass is a copy, but you're not likely to find an original on eBay. All the others are completely bogus in all respects.