On Tuesday, the City of Lakewood distributed letters to the B&I Market Place’s 60 or so businesses warning against selling knockoff merchandise.

Here were some of their responses:

- Mike Cook, a clerk at the B&I Coin Shop, said he doesn’t think unlicensed merchandise is a problem among the legitimate owners with a spot at the famous shopping center.

He said it’s coming more from people who try to sell merchandise in the parking lot, out of the trunks of their cars.

“I think everybody’s been mindful of what they’re supposed to do,” Cook said. “It’s more of an issue of people coming and selling their stuff in the parking lot.”

- Yong Koch, owner of Smile Accessories handbag and luggage store some 13 years now, said it’s difficult to stop knockoff trafficking because there will always be a demand for it.

“People like to buy those things because they’re cheap,” she said, shaking her head.

Still, she commended the city for trying to crack down on knockoff dealers and says the letters are good.

- Mark Baumann, assistant store manager at Scamp’s pet store, said there’s been rumors of people selling knockoffs, and he’s always wondered how some of the B&I’s merchants can sell their merchandise so cheap.

As for his store, he says it’s unlikely that anyone even makes a knockoff dog collar or fish-tank cleaner.

“It’d be kind of hard to do that here,” he said.

Look for my story for the print paper in the coming days.