IP Outreach Research > IP Crime
Reference
| Title: | Counterfeiting Luxury: Exposing the Myths |
| Author: | [Ledbury Research] |
| Source: | Anti-Counterfeiting Group (ACG) |
| Year: | 2007 |
Details
| Subject/Type: | Counterfeiting |
| Focus: | Apparel and Shoes, Brands (deceptive counterfeits), Brands (non-deceptive counterfeits), Fashion Accessories, Luxury Goods, Watches |
| Country/Territory: | United Kingdom |
| Objective: | To look at consumer attitudes to buying fake luxury goods, spending habits and possible deterrents. |
| Sample: | 2.000+ consumers |
| Methodology: | Online survey, focus groups |
Main Findings
The study finds that, in 2007, 5% of the population bought a fake of a "top ten" luxury brand. There is very little to distinguish demographically between those that have bought fakes and those that have not: buyers of pirated luxury brands are just as likely to be employed, in lower/higher income households as their counterparts that do not buy fakes.
The most popular fakes are: clothing, shoes, watches, leather goods, and jewellery. Fakes are either bought domestically (with 47% having bought them from market stalls; and 29% from the online marketplace eBay UK), or while travelling in Europe (45%), India/China (10%; 8%), or the rest of the Far East/world (19%; 23%). 31% of consumers report having bought fakes thinking that they were the real thing. Overall, just 17% of respondents are confident that they can tell the difference between a genuine and a fake product.
The social acceptance of fakes has risen dramatically: while in 2006 just 44% of fake buyers agreed that they told their family/friends that the counterfeit item they were wearing was in fact a fake, in 2007 64% affirm doing so. Similarly, look-alikes are considered a benevolent force, making "designerwear more affordable" (52% agreeing with this statement); just 39% believe that look-alikes damage the brands.
The two deterrents against counterfeit buying perceived as most effective are: "the fact that (counterfeiting) proceeds are going towards criminal gains" (assessed as effective by 72% of fake buyers); and "making it a criminal offence to buy/possess fakes" (70%). However, the latter is opposed by 68% of the population.
The authors recommend targeted consumer awareness campaigns highlighting, inter alia, the following message: "by buying fakes, you are funding organised crime - including terrorism".
[Date Added: Oct 22, 2008 ]