NYC bill would make buying fake designer bags illegal

Those fake designer handbags that tourists and New Yorkers like to shop for on the streets of Manhattan may soon be illegal — to buy, not just to sell.

City Councilwoman Margaret Chin is announcing Tuesday that she will introduce a bill that would criminalize the purchase of designer knockoffs.

If the bill becomes a law, buyers could face up to a year in jail or a $1,000 fine.

Chin tells the New York Post that she doesn't want New York to be known as the place to get counterfeit goods.

Chin's district includes Chinatown, where many street vendors peddle cheap handbags and watches.

Chin said that if the law passes she will make sure there are plenty of signs warning buyers to stay away from fake goods.