The 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' actor is working with Assemblywoman Ling Ling Chang on a bill to crack down on fake autographed memorabilia.
- Jan 17, 2016
AceShowbiz - Mark Hamill is teaming up with California lawmaker to fight bogus memorabilia. Assemblywoman Ling Ling Chang and the "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" actor are working on a bill to crack down on fake autographed memorabilia.
Ahead of "The Force Awakens" premiere, Mark was asked by some fans to verify his own signatures on movie posters and other memorabilia. "As a joke at the London premiere, I said I'd only initial posters to reflect my contributions to the movie. And even then, I only did like three of those," Mark told Los Angeles Times.
Ling said of working with Mark, "I got on the phone with [Mark] and it was very touching to see how passionate he was. What he said to me is that his fans are like family and that he did not want to see kids being victimized as he's seen in the past. It's such an honor to have him on board with us."
According to the site, AB 1570 would require certificates of authenticity for signed memorabilia sold by dealers in California, and entitle duped consumers to as much as 10 times the cost of the forged item in civil court. State law already offers those remedies for signed sports memorabilia.
Mark wanted film fans got the same protections as sports fans. "The public is being swindled on a daily basis and the numbers are huge. I just can't keep quiet when I see people I love being hurt," he said. "But it's a drop in the ocean, there's not much you can do about it. In a way, it seems futile to try and counter what is clearly a very lucrative market. But we can't let them get away with it."
