What Do I Think of the Illicit Trade in Counterfeit Goods

I stand with 2 different opinions on this subject. First when it comes to counterfeit hard goods and the trade in people I think we need to control ourselves as people in the temptation to buy these fake products at a discounted price. The consumer is the driving force behind it. I myself have fallen for the temptation on more than one occasion while traveling the world. I have multiple pairs of designer jeans and a Versace wallet I carry with me every day. Strange is that the quality is usually better with the fake goods. The wallet I bought for less than a dollar in a Bangkok market has lasted almost 2 years and seems to be getting better with age. The real Versace wallet I have fell apart in a year which caused me to buy the fake. Yea, governments and police can try and stop this but the amount of money and yearning for a better life it will never stop. Someone needs to think outside the box on the impossibilities of completely stopping the sale and trade of goods and materials similar of what needs to be done on the war on drugs.
With music I believe that the artists need to adapt and accept that this is going to be around. Yes, I will work in the industry but if I don’t adapt and fight this unwinnable battle I will be left wondering why I can’t make any money. Technology is ever changing and it is speeding up at an exponential rate so the companies and artists that are as fast will be the ones that succeed. Plenty of money is there for the taking but now maybe it will be spread out a little more for the clever.
These problems will be around forever so maybe its time to look for different solutions.