IP Outreach Research > IP Crime
Reference
| Title: | Consumer Demand for Counterfeit Goods |
| Author: | Gail Tom, Barbara Garibaldi, Yvette Zeng and Julie Pilcher [California State University] |
| Source: | Psychology & Marketing 15, no. 5: 405-421 |
| Year: | 1998 |
Details
| Subject/Type: | Counterfeiting, Piracy |
| Focus: | Apparel and Shoes, Brands (non-deceptive counterfeits), Fashion Accessories, Music, Software |
| Country/Territory: | United States of America |
| Objective: | To identify counterfeit-product prone consumers and the product attributes that attract them. |
| Sample: | 453 consumers at shopping malls and 379 shoppers at flea markets |
| Methodology: | Three street-intercept studies undertaken before, during and after purchases took place. For the during-purchase studies, consumers were given the option to purchase clearly-marked fake and real products at the same stand |
Main Findings
Younger consumers shopping at flea markets showed a more positive attitude towards counterfeit goods than older consumers found at shopping malls. Previous purchase of counterfeit goods also tended to result in favourable attitudes towards counterfeits. Some consumers of counterfeit goods saw their purchase as an expression of their anti-big-business sentiments and did not believe that counterfeit goods hurt the US economy as a whole.
When presented with a choice between the fake and the legitimate version of a product, 68% chose the legitimate product. Those preferring the legitimate product tended to rate brand, function and durability as the most important attributes. Those preferring the fake product tended to rate price as the most important attribute. Counterfeit versions of products with a greater functional component were selected less frequently than counterfeit products with a greater fashion component.
A small section of the population seems to be responsible for a large proportion of the sales in counterfeit goods. Suggest anti-counterfeiting efforts to target this audience who tends to be loyal to counterfeit goods.
[Date Added: Aug 12, 2008 ]