COUNTERFEIT
GOODS
How big a problem is counterfeiting?
According to the Global Anti-Counterfeiting
Group (GACG), the scale of the problem is huge. GACG estimates that
up to 12% of toys and sports goods in the market place are fakes
along with 11% of clothing and footwear, and 10% of perfume and
toiletries.
A recent GACG report shows
that brand counterfeiting results in the direct loss last year of
more than 17,000 jobs across Europe - 4,100 of them in the UK alone.
Counterfeiting also results
in an annual reduction of the UK's Gross Domestic product of £768m
- costing UK companies somewhere between £4 billion and £6.6
billion per year.
Worst hit are clothing and
footwear companies - losing a combined £727m per year in the
UK due to counterfeiting, with the toys and sports sector suffering
to the tune of £358m - some 11.5% of their annual revenue.
The perfume and toiletries
sector loses an estimated 7.2% of its annual revenue, or about £289m.
Yet buying or selling knock-off
goods still hardly seems the most serious of crimes.
So what if it’s not genuine?
Is the attitude of many if it looks like the real thing, and for
only a fraction of the price.
If we’re honest, most
of us have at one time or another, owned some sort of counterfeit
product - be it that £20 Gucci bag, that £10 Rolex watch
or even that £5 bottle of Chanel you bought off the street
for Mother’s Day last year.
There seems no harm in bending
the law a little, we reason. It’s essentially a victimless
crime. A recent survey showed that 52% of us would willingly buy
fake clothing and footwear and 16% were quite happy to knowingly
purchase fake perfume.
Vice Chairman of the GACG John
Anderson says:-
"We have to shake members
of the public, as well as politicians and the judiciary, out of
the mistaken belief that counterfeiting doesn’t hurt anybody.
"The economic impact is
not just on brand owning companies, but also on national treasuries
from which funds are drained that could otherwise help support health
services and education.
"At the most personal
level, 17,000 people across Europe who are prevented from legitimate
work as a result of counterfeiting wouldn’t agree that it
is a victimless crime."
Part of the problem may be
the relatively light penalties for the counterfeiters - although
breaching copyright can carry a jail sentence, simply selling counterfeit
goods carries a maximum £5000 fine per item; it can seem a
risk worth taking.
"We can reduce the amount
of counterfeit or unsafe goods on sale but we can’t stop it
unless tougher legislation is brought in," according to Enforcement
Officers.
The real problem however comes
from the public. As long as people are prepared to buy fakes - risking
fires, computer damage, car crashes, burns and skin complaints from
acid "perfumes" even blindness in the name of saving a
few quid, then there will be those prepared to supply them.
THE PERILS OF COUNTERFEIT
GOODS
- Alcohol - fake vodka, scotch
whiskey and alcopops - many carrying top brand names have been
seized containing methylated spirits and antifreeze. Anyone drinking
these could literally go blind.
- Car parts - car wheels
made of sub standard alloy and brake shoes made of compressed
grass have been seized - both potentially lethal.
- Christmas tree lights -
badly wired fake plugs mean cheap sets of faairy lights are a
fire hazard.
- Toothbrushes - a large
consignment of fake Aqua fresh toothbrushes have been seized,
made of poor quality materials which threaten breakage and injury.
- TVs and videos - bad wiring
and old components mean that those that work at all are liable
to cause fires or even explode.
- Fake Tellytubby clothing
has been seized which is not flameproof. A wearer would be engulfed
in flames within seconds.
- Fake
Tetley tea bags have been seized containing metal filings, floor
sweepings and rat and mouse droppings.
- Washing powder - fake powder
has been seized containing caustic soda which burned the hands.
- Fake perfume - using urine
as a stablisers has been found. The RUC confiscated 110 boxes
at a raid at one popular market.
- Screwdrivers - 1,500 fake
Stanley screwdrivers which could shatter and blind or maim have
been seized.
- Health drink - a potentially
lethal workout drink has been seized in Wales containing potentially
dangerous levels of ephedrine.
HOW NOT TO GET CAUGHT
OUT
- examine the goods carefully,
particularly looking for items which could become detached and
choke or cut a child.
- buy from recognised retailers,
look for the BSI Kite and Lion quality marks and check the age
group for which the toy is suitable.
- everybody loves a bargain,
but "cheap" can often mean fake. Shoddily made and possibly
dangerous If it costs less than half the normal price, it could
well be a fake.
- be wary of goods sold at
car boot sales, street markets, short term lease High Street shops,
pubs or clubs.
- examine stitching and seams
inside garments and shoes and look carefully for poor quality
seals between upper and lower soles on shoes.
- poor quality labels and
packaging on perfumes and cosmetics are often a give-away and
some fake fragrances contain substances which can seriously damage
the skin and eyes.
- if suspicious about the
credentials of a watch, handle the strap - fakes will feel lightweight
and sound tinny when shaken. Logos and brand names are often poorly
fixed to the dial of fake watches.
Remember you have no comeback
if the appliance breaks
Top ten fakes to look
out for...
- sportswear, including
football club strips
- football and other
computer games
- designer label fleeces
and other clothing
- Pokemon and Tweenies
toys and any character merchandise
- perfume and cosmetics
- music CD’s
and cassettes
- designer watches
and luxury leather goods
- films in both VHS
and DVD format
- champagne
- computer software
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