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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'>This reminds me of many years ago when Turkey would not allow meerschaum to be exported for making pipes unless it was carved there. They wanted the jobs. I’d have to assume it would be the same in India – like us they need jobs!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'>dave <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Ed Foote<br><b>Sent:</b> Saturday, August 27, 2011 3:04 PM<br><b>To:</b> pianotech@ptg.org<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [pianotech] Feds confiscating musical instrument materials<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black'><<</span></span><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'>Recently the Gibson Guitar Company was raided by federal agents asserting that the company has been using illegally obtained banned lumber from protected forests. </span></span><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black'>>></span></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black'>Greetings, </span></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black'> According to our Nashville paper, the problem with the wood Gibson had was that India's laws require the wood to be finished before leaving the country, ie, whatever manufacturing is to be done with the wood has to be done in India. So, the Feds were confiscating material that India says should not have been exported in the condition it was in. </span></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black'> I think this is an idiotic setting of priorities. There are far more important things we should be spending enforcement dollars on. </span></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black'>Regards, </span></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black'>Ed Foote RPT </span></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black'> </span></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></body></html>