Happy 60th AK-47!
 

You crazy assault rifle, you.

But before you go and buy your anniversary edition, make sure you abide by Russian patent law and don’t get a knock-off. Because we all know that Russia doesn’t produce any counterfeit products.

"Other arguments are rooted in what the Russians claim is law, as the arms industry insists that the factories that the Kremlin once sponsored, and now are in sovereign, post-Soviet countries, have no right to manufacture or sell items of Soviet design.

“More than 30 foreign companies, private and state based, continue the illegal manufacturing and copying of small arms,” said Sergey V. Chemezov, the former K.G.B. officer and confidant of Mr. Putin’s who directs Rosoboronexport, the state arms-marketing agency. “They undermine the reputation of the Kalashnikov.”

"“We cannot tolerate the situation when only 10 percent of the Kalashnikovs are manufactured legally,” said Sergey V. Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister. “We cannot stand for this. We must fight.”


http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/15/we...nted=1&_r=1&hp