On 8/9/2012 3:02 PM, John Grossbohlin wrote:

"John Grossbohlin" wrote in
message m...
http://www.marke****ch.com/story/gib...me_latest_news


The Wall St Journal reported that the fine was $300K, Gibson also agreed
to $50K being paid to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, plus
they withdrew their claims to the ebony seized and valued at $261,844.
Total out of pocket here is $611,844. Add in the legal fees and lost
productivity (reported to be about $2 million) and the figure becomes
significant. What was not mentioned was the nearly 100 guitars that were
also confiscated.

"Gibson has acknowledged that it failed to act on information that the
Madagascar ebony it was purchasing may have violated laws intended to
limit overharvesting and conserve valuable species..."

Rightly or wrongly, on both Gibson's part and the Fed's part, this is
how it played out. I suspect it may alter the business and personal
practices of some here in the U.S.. There are surely others that will
not care and who will continue doing what they are doing figuring that
they are flying under the radar. Gibson's products end up on stage, on
TV, and in myriad photos... harder to hide perhaps than that nice
jewelry box someone made for their wife?







as Pogo said, "We has met the enemy, and they is us".