Counterfeit goods have become more popular and widespread all over the world, in particularly, in the Eastern for years. “The United States says that China is the No.1 offender in sales of counterfeit goods, but that the goods are also traded in South Korea, Pakistan and Indian. The issue has become a major trade dispute” (The New York Times, 2007). It includes almost all sectors such as clothing, jewelry, electric equipment, medications and foods. Counterfeits can be sold in street vendors or in many stores. “They tried to do as much as they could to replicate the real thing,” Mr. Mackinnon said. “They were very professional, there was attention to detail” (The New York Times, 2013). Although counterfeit goods are cheaper than genuine products, people should be aware of the threats of counterfeit goods. For example, the safe of people’s health, the loss of money and the reputation of nation are several problems that need to be tackled.
First of all, using fake products threaten to customers’ health. According to the research, fakes contain harmful substances that may lead to a lot of health problems. David MCKelvey said that “There are dangerously high levels of mercury found in fake cosmetics whiles the brushes being sold to apply make-up often have lice in there,” (BBC, 2011). Furthermore, in all fake sectors, counterfeit drugs are by far the most dangerous. “Roger Bate estimates that more than 100,000 people are killed worldwide by dangerous drugs every year,” (Forbes, 2012). No one knows the harm done to those who drank it — or whether they connected any illness with their bargain vodka — but cases of poisoning have been reported throughout Europe, including in the Czech Republic, where more than 20 people died last year afte...
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...ights. Thus, counterfeiting is not only a private issue, but also the national problem that need to focus on finding solutions to solve it. “Fake designer bags are part of a $500 billion global trade in counterfeit goods, and the U.S. authorities say that some of that money is funding terrorism.” ( The New York Times, 2007). For example, “Kelly said that the group accused of the Madrid train bombings in 2004, which killed 191 people, had used proceeds from the sale of pirated CDs to fund their activities.” ( The New York Times, 2007).
To sum up, although customers are usually attracted to the outlook and good price of fake products, they should be aware of the cost they have to pay for using the low-quality of counterfeit products.
Works Cited
Melik, J., (2011), Fake goods save money but at what cost?, BBC, Relieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16087793
Mariah Carey is one of the top pop singers in America today. On an average, her CD’s sell for fifteen dollars. However, many find it easier to purchase a “knock-off” for a cheaper price than to purchase the real thing. For instance, an individual can purchase the exact CD at a local flea market for five dollars and save the extra ten dollars for something else. In the short story, “The Great Taco War,” Jose Antonio Burciaga informs readers that fast food industries like Taco Bell do no sell authentic Mexican tacos. He urges readers to purchase tacos from taquerias because unlike Taco Bell, their food is “real” Mexican food.
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.
When you go to the mall to pick up a pair of jeans or a shirt, do you think about where they came from? How they were made? Who made them? Most consumers are unaware of where their clothes are coming from. All the consumer is responsible for is buying the clothing from the store and most likely have little to no knowledge about how it was manufactured, transported, or even who made the clothing item and the amount of intensive labor that went into producing it (Timmerman, 3).
In China, Kelsey Timmerman spent time with a couple who worked at the Teva factory, traveled to the countryside to meet the couple’s son, insert name, who hasn’t seen his parents in three years due to his parents working long hours and it being expensive to take a train ride. In the US, the author visited one of a few clothing factories in the US to talk to the workers about his shorts, and the decrease of American garment factories. Timmerman wants the consumer to be more engaged and more thoughtful when mindlessly buying clothes. By researching how well the brands you want to buy from monitor their factories and what their code of ethics details, you can make a sound decision on if this is where you would want to buy your clothes. The author writes about brands that improve employers lives like SoleRebels, a shoe company who employs workers and gives them health insurance, school funds for their children, and six months of maternity leave. Brands like soleRebels that give workers benefits most factory workers have never even heard of help improve the lives of garment workers and future generations. From reading this book, Timmerman wants us to be more educated about the lives of garment workers, bridge the gap between consumers and manufacturers, and be a more engaged and mindful consumer when purchasing our
Reuter, Peter. The Organization of Illegal Markets: An Economic Analysis. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1985.
Have you ever thought how much research and effort a company has done to make their product appeal to you? A company will conduct surveys, record human responses to specific images, and adhere to government regulations not to mention all the different designs produced, just so that you will want to buy their product over their competitors. In Thomas Hine’s essay, What’s in a Package, Hine discusses the great length the response that a consumer should have when looking at a product’s packaging, the importance of manufactures’ marketing campaign, the importance of packages depending on the culture, then finally to why designs will change over time.
* Holland, Tom. "Shopping-Cart Spy Chips. " Far Eastern Economic Review 9 Sep. 2004: 36-39.
Hasbro faces a significant threat from counterfeits of its products. As the market for toys and games is increasing globally, the parallel market for counterfeit toys is also on the rise. Such activity rises especially during the festive months when toy sales are expected to be high. Counterfeits pose a threat to the toys and games market, not just in terms of lost business and brand dilution, but also by selling products that can be potentially dangerous to children of all ages. Low quality counterfeits reduce consumer confidence in branded products like Hasbro. Counterfeits not only deprive revenues for the company but also dilute its brand image.
Are items created for profit physically any different from their “authentic” counterparts? At an atomic level, perhaps, but the untrained eyes of most tourists would probably not find any dissimilarities between a mass-produced mask and a more “authentic” one. Yet we as a society treat economically motivated primitive art as different from the primitive art actually used in rituals, which indicates that economic motivations can definitely influence our perceptions of art. This realization still brings us back to the question posed in the last paragraph, however: why would people treat Renaissance art as valuable and advertising as beneath their notice if both have economic motivations behind their
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).
Art theft is a crime that has been on the rise for the last half of this century. “According to law enforcement officials, art theft now ranks second only to drugs as the world’s most lucrative illegal activity.” (Journal of Commerce) Whether bought, created, or stolen, art has become something that is of great demand. “Art theft has flourished as never before. Just keeping up with the number of stolen objects and their total value is a big-time guessing game.” (Dudar) This is a problem that not only faces us as art owners and collectors, but museums and auction houses as well. Everyone possessing a piece of artwork is at risk of art theft. This artwork doesn’t have to be anything out of the ordinary to be a target. Along with famous paintings, sculptures, and other types of artwork, many insignificant or unrecognized pieces of artwork are being stolen too. “Most thefts appear to be the work of thieves without serious art education. Along with the good stuff, they are apt to sweep up junk – those sappy gift-shop paintings of kids with enormous eyes, for example, which no serious collector would covet.” (Lowenthal) On the other hand some of these thefts are being done by some of the best in the business. “Some thieves have turned out to be professionals who, following fashion, switched from robbing video stores to burgling art. Some are actually specialists in vehicle t...
However, the abuse of this trend is causing some fatigue and distrust among consumers, especially when certain product categories are falling far short of what the consumer is expecting.
Do you ever wonder when you go into certain shops how a handmade t-shirt can be so cheap? Or on the other hand, products which are sold to us at extremely high prices and we assume they are expensive to produce when we do not realise child labour is behind it.... ... middle of paper ... ...
Reviewing the existing literature on this topic, this essay attempts to look at the scale of counterfeiting, the reasons for its growth and the consumer’s attitudes towards counterfeited products. It also provides information about how the counterfeit market poses challenges for customer-brand relations and the strategies that brands can implement to overcome these challenges.
Black markets are the underground markets that operate outside “the legal system in which either illegal goods are sold or legal goods are sold at illegal prices or terms.” Black markets are characterized by high prices, violence, and defective products. The high prices in black markets, especially in comparison to legal markets, comes from the risk that the supplier is undertaking. Suppliers are taking the risk of “arrest, possibility of a fine or prison sentence, and so on.” The violence that many times characterizes black markets stems from the fact that there are “no legal channels for the peaceful settlement of disputes” and the party that does not follow through with the agreement must be made to follow the agreement, many times through the use of threats or force.