at a flea market]]A counterfeit is a fake or unauthorized replica of a genuine product, such as money, documents, designer items, or other valuable goods. Counterfeiting generally involves creating an imitation of a genuine item that closely resembles the original to deceive others into believing it is authentic.
Counterfeit products are often made to take advantage of the higher value of the original product, typically using lower-quality materials or production methods. Counterfeit food, drinks, medicines, and personal care products can contain harmful or inactive ingredients, causing anything from mild issues to serious, life-threatening ones.
Counterfeit footwear, clothing, and accessories have been found to contain high levels of lead, arsenic, and phthalates.
Counterfeit are public debt instruments that are produced without legal sanction, with the intention of "cashing them in" for authentic currency or using them as collateral to secure loans or lines of credit through legitimate channels.
Questioned document examination is a scientific process for investigating many aspects of various documents, and is often used to examine the provenance and verity of a suspected forgery. Security printing is a printing industry specialty, focused on creating legal documents which are difficult to forge.
The colloquial terms "dupe " (short for "duplicate") or "knockoff " are often used interchangeably with "counterfeit," though they have different meanings. Dupes and knockoffs generally mimic the physical look of other products without copying the brand name or logo of a trademarked item, unlike counterfeits. Despite this distinction, counterfeits are frequently misleadingly marketed as dupes.
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the presence of counterfeit goods in global trade has grown substantially. In 2005, counterfeit and illegally copied products accounted for up to $200 billion in international trade. This figure rose to $250 billion by 2007, representing 1.95% of world trade, up from 1.85% in 2000. By 2019, counterfeit and pirated goods made up approximately 2.5% of global trade, valued at an estimated $464 billion. In the EU, imports of counterfeit and pirated products reached as high as €119 billion (approximately $134 billion), accounting for up to 5.8% of total imports that year. marker, next to a counterfeit "Shoupie" marker]]The increase in counterfeit goods sales, driven by the rise of globalized supply chains and e-commerce, is enabled through the use of small packages, sometimes referred to as de minimis shipments. Counterfeit goods purchased from e-commerce websites or social media apps are shipped in small packages to bypass Customs and exploit de minimis benefits, such as duty-free imports and expedited customs processing, allowing them to reach buyers directly. In 2023, 92% of counterfeit seizures in the U.S. involved small packages. brand and products, such as televisions, monitors, air conditioners, etc.]]China (including Hong Kong) is a major source of counterfeit goods, responsible for an estimated 80% of the world’s counterfeits, contributing over 1.5% to its GDP, and accounting for 84% of all counterfeit items seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in 2023. Other significant sources include India, Thailand, the Philippines, Turkey, Vietnam, Colombia, Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates.
The most frequently seized counterfeit items are footwear, clothing, leather goods, and electrical machinery and electronic equipment. In 2023, apparel and accessories made up 26.2% of the counterfeit goods seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. flash memory IC (right) and a counterfeit replica (left); although the packaging of these ICs is the same, the radiography reveal that the inside structure of the fake one is different]] Counterfeit components are also present in the military supply chain. A report from an investigation initiated by the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services in March 2011 revealed over 1,800 cases of suspected counterfeit electronic parts within more than 1 million defense-related products.Senate Armed Services Committee, Senate Armed Services Committee Announces Investigation into Counterfeit Electronic Parts in DOD Supply Chain , published 9 March 2011, accessed 2 January 2022Trace Laboratories, Inc., Counterfeit Electronic Components: Understanding the Risk , accessed 4 January 2022 A follow-up report in 2012 found that counterfeit parts came "overwhelmingly from China."Nash-Hoff, M. Senate Report Reveals Extent of Chinese Counterfeit Parts in Defense Industry , published 31 May 2012, accessed 12 March 2022 By 2022, concerns over counterfeit components in the supply chain persisted, notably affecting the F-35 fighter jets. In 2023, Forbes reported that Chinese materials, components, and software were still present in the Department of Defense's supply chain.
In countries like North Korea and Russia where trade sanctions were imposed in the past to prevent the importation of popular brands, demand was stimulated for available counterfeit alternatives. The economic standing of a country or region also contributed to the demand for these products as the average consumer can't afford luxury goods prices but will gain the same social impact purchasing a knock-off whose quality is almost indistinguishable from the original's.
Luxury streetwear is out of reach for many people, not just because of international sanctions and low wages, but because exclusivity is built into its business model. Social and cultural forces are driving the unique fashion scene. In particular, social media has a huge influence on over these markets giving people images of things they can't own and further fueling the desire to obtains certain "" items by any means accessible.
Designers have even begun to acknowledge the trend of counterfeit culture by referencing fake or knock-off goods in their designs. This brought counterfeit culture into the realm of popular culture and has essentially shifted global acceptance towards becoming more lenient of these products as an appropriate alternative.
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