Actual counterfeit items can be divided into four categories: Vanity Fakes which are low perceived value products, Overruns or copies made from left over material, Condoned Copies made by other designers of fashion houses, and Copies made by the fashion houses themselves.
An interesting argument protecting the counterfeiter themselves is that much of this counterfeiting is done in countries in economic peril, and perhaps the counterfeiter has a right to make a living whatever way they can. Then what is questioned is whose moral right is more important, the designer or the counterfeiter.
The fact is that the high-end fashion goods that are being copied are unattainable for the majority of the world. But does that make it right? The counterfeits may hurt these high-end brands by disassociating their genuine products from the mass of the cheap copies, which look like them.
Still, you may have found a convincing lookalike in some market on your travels: the genuine item is made of several hundred parts and would have taken many thousands of hours of costly research and development to make, but this imitation seems to work well, and it looks smart. You shrug your shoulders and buy it, because “anyway, counterfeiting is a harmless activity!” But what if the airplane you were about to board had been repaired with counterfeit airplane parts: How smart would you feel then?
Modern counterfeiters will copy or recycle just about anything as long as there is a profit to be made, and they are becoming increasingly adept at doing so. The last laugh is on the consumer. Counterfeit or pirated products may seem temptingly cheap, but they are neither a small nor a harmless business. Did you know that when you buy fake designer glasses or a pirated ...
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... of criminal activities and redirecting a proportion of them back into law enforcement, can ease the burden.
Comprehensive and comparable data are a vital base for all of these efforts, but how to build and report such a database? One promising framework which OECD countries could build on comes from the World Customs Organization. This looks at a range of elements, from date of interception and value of product, to routing and type of IPR infringement (patent, trademark, copyright, etc).
Can we counter the counterfeiters? A decade ago people believed writing off bribery costs from their taxes was acceptable: it no longer is. In this and many other areas of policy, the OECD has demonstrated how much can be achieved through sound information and open, determined co-operation. Our job is to help the global economy work better, and that means beating counterfeiting too
The creation and sale of low-cost counterfeits, replicas and knock-offs of brand-name originals is a common occurrence. Across all markets, counterfeiting and Piracy account for $461 billion (OECD/EUIPO, 2016). Only 25 countries have GDPs greater than that. (Statistics Times, 2017) In the world of fashion accessories, there are many companies that look to benefit from consumers’ desires to own something luxurious while paying not-so-luxurious prices. Such is the case of Finer Bags, a company that sold what they advertised as replica or original designer brand bags. Was Finer Bags breaking the law? Was it unethical? Before attempting to answer those questions, it is best if we consider the differences between the terms counterfeit, replica, knock-off, and copy. While all represent closely copied designs of another product, the main difference
Secondly luxury products are easy to counterfeit, some countries such as china, turkey, and other still have to improve their IPR policies
According to the article, “Terror’s purse strings” by Dana Thomas, fashion counterfeiting is not a victimless crime. Fashion counterfeiting is not a victimless crime and the profits from this horrendous crime may benefit international terrorism while also stealing money from the luxurious companies that produce the fashion. Furthermore, Dana Thomas quotes Magnus Ranstorp when she says, “Profits from counterfeiting are one of the three main sources of income supporting international terrorism”. In other words, Thomas used Ranstorp’s quote to in depth the purpose of the article, which is to detail the reprehensible use of counterfeiting fashion items in order to gain money to support terrorism. Fashion counterfeiting will never be a victimless
Their website is clear that the handbags are copies or replica of the original and the prices are 10 times less the original ones.
The world of fashion is not all that is seems. What we see on the outside is flashy clothes with big price tags. In actuality, if you were to be thrown into this world you would see that it is much more than just that. This is the same realization that Amy Odell had in her book, Tales From the Back Row.
Designer clothes make you feel good and look hotter than everyone else. Before you start to feel bad about the fact that your jeans don’t look quite as cool as your favorite “celeb”, consider to change your life right then and there. Don’t walk around wearing your new Kohl’s pants and Target sweatshirt, you WILL be judged. People hold other people in higher regard simply if they’re wearing clothes with designer label. Hilary Duff doesn’t walk around in her 40 dollar jeans… wake up! She’s wearing Prada, Guess, and another brand name that you don’t have in your cl...
On late August of 2007, Dana Thomas writes to the general public on the horrors made possible by the buying and selling of counterfeit fashion goods to persuade the end of the consumerism funding monstrous acts. Through the incorporation of ethos, logos, and pathos in her journalism, Thomas persuades her audience with the uncoverings of the sources behind the making of the counterfeit goods.
2006). Burberry’s product line, especially the famous trademark plaid, unfortunately, is not difficult to imitate, the development of “fake Burberry” affects their revenue. In 2010, Burberry won $1.5 million in counterfeit case (Matthew 2010), but the counterfeit apparel and accessories is still the key issue for all major luxury brand (Maman 2012).
Raustiala and Sprigman assume that fashion will not be the same if each design belonged exclusively to one person or organization. In fact, they compare it to the music and film industries, making it clear that the copying
In the early 1800s, France was the sole fashion capital of the world; everyone who was anyone looked towards Paris for inspiration (DeJean, 35). French fashion authority was not disputed until the late twentieth century when Italy emerged as a major fashion hub (DeJean, 80). During the nineteenth century, mass produced clothing was beginning to be marketed and the appearance of department stores was on the rise (Stearns, 211). High fashion looks were being adapted and sold into “midlevel stores” so that the greater public could have what was once only available to the social elite (DeJean, 38). People were obsessed with expensive fashions; wealthy parents were advised not the let their children run around in expensive clothing. People would wait for children dressed in expensive clothing to walk by and then they would kidnap them and steal their clothes to sell for money (DeJean, 39). Accessories were another obsession of France‘s fashion; they felt no outfit was complete without something like jewelry or a shrug to finish off the look and make it all around polished (DeJean, 61). As designers put lines together, marketing began to become important to fashion in the nineteenth century; fashion plates came into use as a way to show off fashion l...
Tracing back to the beginning of clothing design, clothes first begin their origination in the hands of the designer. Designers use trends to help them manufacture new garments each season, and their high fashion clothing is displayed on runway shows. Because of high prices, clothing piracy has become a rising problem for designers, and with the advancement of technology, pirating clothing has become that much easier. With a simple snap of a photo, a person can easily mimic the garment. Mass production and sale of that garment occurs before the original even hits stores because designers debut their clothing one season in advance (Fanelli 285-286). This makes the designer’s work much more difficult because by the time their apparel has made it to stores, consumers are not interested or fazed; they have already seen this type of clothing and have been wearing it for some time.
With the growing trend of outsourcing manufacturing processes to emerging economies, brands are facing an increasing growth of counterfeit goods. These goods attempt to imitate luxury brands, which in the long run erode the value and the reputation of the brands (Staake et al. 2009). Consequently, counterfeits are becoming a growing concern for status, prestige and luxury brands.
It is also important to agree that this transaction in almost every tradable commodity and services, both genuine and counterfeit, supports the dealings shown in black market trade. According to Bahmani-Oskooee & Goswami (2005), the supporters of black market cite many reasons for its embracement. The fact that the trade involves transactions in almost every tradable commodity and services, both genuine and counterfeit, makes it very difficult to curb. This is explicitly demonstrated by the supporters of black market, who cite numerous reasons for its existence. Economic support, employment creation, money circulation, and many others have anchored this trade within various world economies.
When you purchase counterfeit software, you're supporting disreputable companies, not tax-paying, legitimate businesses that provide jobs and salaries to good citizens. The profits from these sales of counterfeit software don't help expand the economy by providing jobs, taxes, and wages, and there is a good chance the profits are funding additional illegitimate businesses. Legitimate companies never receive any funds from the sale of counterfeit software, and frequently this loss of revenue leads to layoffs for workers in all related industries, from manufacturers to resellers. So, as you can see, purchasing counterfeit software doesn't only impact software manufacturers, it impacts everyone.
Counterfeiting is an expanding field of business in which duplicates or copies that are identical to the actual goods, including their packaging, trademarks, and labeling, are bought and sold (Kay 1990, cited in Ang et al.2001, p. 219). The market of counterfeit products has its roots since 1970s when Levi’s Strauss found its logo on the unbranded jeans being sold to Asian markets (Walker 1981,cited in Phau et al. 2009, p.262-281). Since then, the selling of counterfeit products has become a flaunting business which is creating both problems and opportunities for new and existing sellers. There are numerous countries where counterfeit products with duplicate designs are commonly available and it is creating problems for original brand sellers to maintain exclusivity.