Description of goods

How can I tell if goods are fake?

Some fakes may look very good and it often takes an expert to identify these. However many goods are obviously fake, from their price, quality and labelling, for example photocopied CD labels. More importantly, fake goods are not subject to the same safety checks as legitimate goods so could actually be dangerous.

What harm does counterfeiting cause?

Counterfeiting causes harm in several ways: Buyers are misled into buying inferior goods, badly reproduced videos or CDs; retailers selling genuine goods lose out to those selling cheaper copies; manufacturers lose income and have to make job cuts; manufacturers' reputations are damaged when poor quality counterfeits are mistaken for the genuine article. Fake goods are also not subject to the same safety checks as legitimate goods so could actually be dangerous.

Why should I bother about reporting fakes?

Fakes are often produced by organised crime to launder drugs money. Fakes such as car parts or perfumes may not be safe and are certainly not properly tested. The cost of counterfeit goods to Britain in 2002 was 1.7 billion and cost an estimated 4,200 people their jobs, many of which were in the Scottish clothing or electronics industry.