Is “Pirating” Wrong?

Do you think it’s wrong to acquire merchandise in the United States? Then go on to use that merchandise to create a new business? This question has been discussed quite strongly amongst the owners of the hugely successful American grocery store company “Trader Joe’s” and local entrepreneur Michael Hallatt, creator of the local grocery store “Pirate Joe’s”. I was lucky enough to hear Hallatt speak at this years Sauder Frosh, and was blown away by his bravery and willingness to take risks. At this point he was unsure of the future of his new company. Yet, interestingly enough about a month after Frosh an article came out with insight on it’s future. In this article, it stated that, against all odds, Mr. Pirate Joe’s had done the impossible. He had won the lawsuit against the mighty “Trader Joe’s”! This article showed that in business, it’s all about taking risks; thus resulting in big rewards. It’s not always easy, and there might be bumps along the way but if one is committed and believes in his or her company, the impossible can become a reality. Furthermore, negatives can be transformed into positives. Like in the case of Hallatt’s “Pirate Joe’s”, even through the lawsuit, the little business gained major publicity and became known as the underdog competing against big competition. Currently, Hallatt has gone from spending 350, 000 on goods, unsure on if he would ever gain if back, to successfully winning a lawsuit against a company stronger and much more powerful then him.