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<DIV><FONT face=Calibri>Recently the Gibson Guitar Company was raided by federal
agents asserting that the company has been using illegally obtained banned
lumber from protected forests. It also discusses ivory from piano keys
being confiscated </FONT><FONT face="Times New Roman">by agents. A very
interesting, (and scary) concern about how the government is, (likely),
over-stepping their boundaries. Even if it is from a piano built before
ivory is banned you are at their <U>mercy</U> because you don’t have paperwork
<U>proving</U> it is pre-ban ivory, (and how are you supposed to produce
that? A sales receipt from 1926?). Failure to have such a
document can not only result in the materials being confiscated, but also facing
heavy fines and possibly even jail time.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV>While the government has responsibilities to ensure that banned materials
such as ivory do not enter the country, it seems like that authority should be
limited to boarder agents and customs inspectors, not demanding proof of origin
on a vintage piano. As far as Gibson is concerned, they claim they have
proof that all of their wood is legal and purchased from a "Forest
Stewardship Council certified supplier". The concern here doesn't appear
to be whether or not possessing wood, ivory, or other materials is legal,
but rather the laws being too broadly and not properly defined. Possessing
pre-band ivory and wood is not a crime, importing new material is the
crime.</DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Calibri>Read here: <A
title="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904787404576530520471223268.html CTRL + Click to follow link"
href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904787404576530520471223268.html">http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904787404576530520471223268.html</A></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Calibri>Rob Goodale, RPT</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Calibri>Las Vegas, NV</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>