It’s not just luxury goods that are counterfeit.
— — The market for counterfeit goods is on the rise, with international trade in counterfeit and pirated goods valued at nearly half a trillion dollars.
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development today released a report that found international trade in “counterfeits” accounted for 2.5% of overall world trade, or $461 billion, in 2013. This equals the gross domestic product of Ireland and the Czech Republic combined.
The report, “Trade in Counterfeit and Pirated Goods: Mapping the Economic Impact,” describes the effect of counterfeiting on a range of industries.
“The scale of the phenomenon appears to be greater than a decade ago,” according to the OECD, a group of 34 mostly wealthy nations that promote economic growth. The group includes the United States, Germany and other countries that the OECD website describes as “advanced nations”, as well as some “emerging” countries like Mexico, Chile and Turkey. A previous OECD study in 2008 estimated that counterfeit and pirated goods accounted for up to 1.9% of global imports, or up to $200 billion.
Most counterfeit products seem to come from China. Nearly 20% of the total value of counterfeit products seized violate the intellectual property rights of registered owners in the United States, followed by Italy at 14.6%, France at 12.1%, Switzerland at 11, 7%, Japan at 8.2% and Germany at 7.5%.
Rolex, Nike, Ray Ban and Louis Vuitton are brands that “appear to be more intensely targeted by counterfeiters,” according to the report. The findings support a previous World Customs Organization report that identified Nike as the most frequently counterfeited brand in 2013.
Louis Vuitton declined to comment on the report, but the company states on its website that it “has a zero-tolerance policy against counterfeiting and is fully committed to maintaining the integrity of its exceptional brand in order to protect customer loyalty. his clients”.
Rolex, Nike and Ray Ban did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
Fake Nike shoes are worth between $5 and $200 on the counterfeit market, while Ray Ban sunglasses range from $5 to $150, according to the OECD. Fake Louis Vuitton bags ranged from $5 to $1,500, while counterfeit Rolex watches were priced at $5 to $20,000, according to the report.
Some counterfeit products also pose health and safety threats, such as fake pharmaceuticals and low-quality toys.
Sectors with the most counterfeit seizures in 2013, according to the OECD:
1. Shoes
2. Clothing, knitted or crocheted
3. Articles of leather
4. Electrical machinery and equipment
5. Watches
6. Instruments, optics, medical, etc.
7. Clothing, other than knitted or crocheted
8. Perfumes and cosmetics
9. Toys
10. Pharmaceuticals
11. Jewelry
“You’re unlikely to get burned by knockoffs if you stick to established stores, legitimate retailer websites and authorized sellers,” said Tod Marks, projects editor at Consumer Reports, at ABC News. “Otherwise, you could be playing with fire. Counterfeits are sold everywhere: at flea markets, on eBay, via market merchants, in independent discount and no-name stores – like some of those “electronics storefronts and luggage in New York”. City, stock exchanges, lounges, exchanges, “copycat” websites that imitate those of well-known merchants and rogue Internet pharmacies.”
