Retail buyers and consumers can also join the fight to stop knockoff goods from being sold by being savvy shoppers and making informed decisions about where to find genuine goods and avoid fakes. Globally, the trafficking of counterfeit goods is much larger and growing. That growth is driven in part by consumer demand. Actively purchasing and engaging with counterfeit items can not only backfire on you if you are buying a defective or dangerous product, but it can also contribute to human rights abuses and organized crime across the globe.
Counterfeit goods span multiple industries, including apparel, accessories, music, software, medications, cigarettes, automobile and airplane parts, consumer goods, toys, electronics, and more. Counterfeiting is not a victimless crime. Counterfeiters often prey on consumer desire for low prices. Purchasing counterfeit products may seem like a cheap option in place of the real thing, but that low price comes at a high cost to yourself and others:.
Skip to main content. What is Counterfeiting? Read more on the U. Trade Secret Infringement — Trade secret infringement involves a third party utilizing key information a trade secret to economically benefit. Usually, trade secret infringement goes hand in hand with patent infringement. If you enjoyed this, why not follow a feed to find out when we have new things like it? Choose an RSS feed from the list below. Don't know what to do with RSS feeds?
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Skip to content Study with The Open University. Search for free courses, interactives, videos and more! Free Learning from The Open University. Featured content. Free courses. All content. Why people buy counterfeit brands Updated Thursday, 14th February Find out more Fake football shirts - Can Umbro stop the flood?
Become an OU student. We're talking about those who are happy to get knock-off designer items for knock-down prices. The people who are well aware there may be issues about quality and copyright - but don't actually mind. After all, are the people who buy fakes for a tenner really depriving the companies that sell goods for hundreds or even thousands of pounds? A woman who makes an impulse buy in a market almost certainly wouldn't otherwise invest in the real deal, while the wealthy buyers of the genuine brand pride themselves on knowing the difference and having the official article.
Where are England's black market hotspots? As Steven Brown, from Batley, told the BBC in response to its revelations about the extent of the black market in England: "I've bought fake handbags for my wife. The fake market exists alongside the genuine one.
It can be argued it actually helps the brands, by quickening the fashion cycle and raising brand awareness. That's what David Wall, professor of criminology at Leeds University, believes. He says the issue of counterfeited goods "provokes a lot of outrage, but what about? He argues there is little evidence provided that profits fund organised criminal gangs - although admits there is a problem with sellers of fake goods not paying taxes. However, should that be an issue for the consumer?
Do we have a moral responsibility to ensure the people we buy things from pay their taxes? Is that any of our business? Arguably, the same goes for goods that violate the intellectual property rights of the designer.
Most punters wouldn't see it as their moral obligation to look after the brands of the big fashion houses. It's a civil issue. Fashion is a complex market, and counterfeit fashion just as complex. Many of us indulge in ironic consumption - such as a Breitling watch for a dollar. It's clear it's not real, it's just quite amusing. Those people need to be protected.
But the vast majority of consumers know exactly what they're getting". What about the argument that counterfeiting leads to the exploitation of workers in so-called sweat shops? There's no reason to think it's more of a problem than with many "fast fashion" brands, such as Primark. How sure are we that anything we buy is ethically sourced?
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