One wonders if Les Paul, the legendary guitar genius and creator
of Gibson's "Les Paul guitar," turned in his grave,
when federal agents recently raided the Gibson guitar factory in
Nashville, Tenn. The raids, in 2009, and more recently in August,
2011, were conducted under authority of the Lacey Act, and serve as
a warning to U.S. importers that they must be mindful of not only
U.S. law, but of the laws of the country where a product is
exported.
The Lacey Act, (16 U.S.C. §§
3371–3378), introduced and signed into law in 1900, was
intended to protect both plants and wildlife by creating civil and
criminal penalties for trading in wildlife, fish, and plants that
have been illegally taken, transported or sold. Amendments to the
Act have expanded the Act's application to the enforcement of
the laws of other countries to prevent U.S. companies from being
used for trafficking in illegal goods. In other words, violation of
the export laws of another country also
