NY Doubles Fines for Selling Mislabeled Real or Faux Fur

New York is raising the fines for misbranding fur, whether it came from an animal or consists of synthetic fibers that look the part.

Starting in late November, the top penalty for manufacturing, importing or selling fur-bearing clothing using inaccurate labels will double to $1,000 for the first violation and $2,000 for each one after that.

Assembly member Linda Rosenthal, a Manhattan Democrat and lead sponsor, says New York passed the law in 2007 to require correct labeling.

Rosenthal says investigators found some stores were selling garments labeled as faux fur that actually had come from a raccoon or dog.

And follow-up investigations have found the practice continuing, leading to higher penalties to discourage it.

Higher fines were recently approved by the Legislature and signed into law last week.