The world’s most ｃounterfeited brands
MOST PIRATED PRODUCTS
The trade in ｃounterfeited goods is worth a whopping $462 billion (𧷹bn) a year, according to a recent study by the OECD and the EU’s Intellectual Property Office with the biggest brands taking the biggest hit.
A massive 63.2% of knockoffs originate in China and American brands are the most faked. We reveal 30 of the world’s most ripped-off brands.
THE NORTH FACE
The high-performance outdoor apparel favorite is one of the most ｃounterfeited brands in the world. Last December for instance, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) seized 50,000 fake North Face jackets from a warehouse in New York State.
Clothing is the second most ｃounterfeited sector in the world, with 17,995 seizures in 2013.
CARTIER
While it’s much sought-after watch and jewelry designs are frequently targeted by ｃounterfeiters, Cartier is fighting back – the luxe French company recently won a court ruling in the UK ordering internet service providers to block websites selling fakes of its products.
HERMÈS
Famously parodied by designer Brian ‘Homiès’ Lichtenberg, Hermès has often fallen prey to ｃounterfeiters, with its Birkin bag, silk scarves and ties the most ripped-off products.
Its leather goods have also been copied too: ｃounterfeit Hermès belts worth $3.2 million (٠.2m) were impounded at the Port of Los Angeles in July 2015.
LEVI'S
The internet is awash with guides on how to spot a pair of phony Levi’s jeans and for very good reason. The definitive denim brand is no stranger to being imitated by fraudsters.
Classic 501s and 550s are the most pirated styles, especially valuable vintage pre-1970 Big E 501s.
TIFFANY & CO.
The venerable American jewelry brand is highly covetable. Needless to say, its prestigious designs have been extensively plagiarized and Tiffany & Co. has even sued Costco for selling imitation diamond rings.
COACH
Coach leather goods are regularly targeted by ｃounterfeiters. In 2014, Coach was awarded $5.5 million (١.8m) in a judgment case against Swap Shop, a Florida flea market that was selling fake bags.
Back in 2012, Coach won a $44 million (㿊m) judgment against a New York-based mother-and-daughter team who were operating several fake Coach websites
UGG
Love them or loathe them, the Australian brand’s sheepskin boots are perennially in demand, a fact that clearly hasn’t been lost on the ｃounterfeiters of the world: 2.5 million pairs of faux Uggs have been seized since 2007.
Shoes are the most ｃounterfeited products in the world, with 27,119 seizures in 2013
POLO RALPH LAUREN
The brand’s quintessential logo polo shirts, which sell for a premium, are relatively easy for ｃounterfeiters to copy, which could explain why Polo Ralph Lauren is one of the most ripped-off brands in the world
LIPITOR
Cholesterol-lowering statin drug Lipitor is another commonly ｃounterfeited medication. In January, a Florida man was jailed for 21 months for selling and distributing fake version of the drug, along with other lucrative meds.
SAMSUN
As dangerous as fake drugs, ｃounterfeit cigarettes are a huge problem worldwide. In Turkey for example, 16.2 billion fake cigarettes a year are thought to be smoked in the ｃountry and President Erdogan has described fake tobacco as more dangerous than terrorism. Samsun, Turkey’s bestselling tobacco brand, is frequently targeted by ｃounterfeiters.
WALT DISNEY
Fake merch is the scourge of the Walt Disney Company, especially ripped-off Frozen toys that are made in China. Luckily, the Chinese authorities have undertaken a major crackdown on faux products in the run-up to the opening of Shanghai Disney Resort this June.
RAY-BAN
The market is flooded with bogus sunglasses and Ray-Ban shades are the most ｃounterfeited. The ‘best’ fakes are dead ringers for the real deal, but they tend to lack adequate UV protection and can potentially damage the eyes.
GUCCI
Gucci has joined Michael Kors in quitting the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition due to Alibaba’s involvement. The luxury Italian brand has also been in the news lately after it announced a crackdown on paper copies of its bags in China – paper fakes are traditionally burned at funerals in the ｃountry as offerings for the deceased.
MICHAEL KORS
One of the world’s most faked brands, Michael Kors recently pulled out of the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition because Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba had been given permission to join the Group. Alibaba is notorious for listing ｃounterfeit products.
VIAGRA
The Pharmaceutical Security Institute reports that 37% of all fake medicines seized are erectile dysfunction drugs, and unsurprisingly Viagra is now the second most ｃounterfeited drug in the world.
CIALIS
Cialis, another popular erectile dysfunction drug, has overtaken Viagra as the world’s most ｃounterfeited medication. The problem is so acute, the US Food and Drug Association issued a warning last year after a shipment of fake Cialis was intercepted in the mail system.
TAMIFLU
Fake fashion may be a problem but it doesn’t kill anybody. Counterfeit medication on the other hand, such as faux versions of the swine flu drug Tamiflu, are estimated to kill at least one million people a year, mostly in developing ｃountries, according to world police agency Interpol.
CHANEL
From its quilted 2.55 bag and chic wallets to the popular No 5 fragrance, Chanel products are often targeted by ｃounterfeiters who exploit the prestige of the French fashion house’s wares.
LOUIS VUITTON
Although Louis Vuitton is the world’s most pirated luxury brand, parent company LVMH is extremely proactive with regard to protecting its trademarks and copyright – the high-end French conglomerate spends €15 million (㾷.9m / $17.1m) a year fighting the fakers.
ADIDAS
Fake sneakers are a major headache for the German sportswear giant. The most lucrative knockoffs? Kanye West’s Yeezy shoes for Adidas Originals X of course, which are mainly sold online or on street corners.
ROLEX
Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery but we’re not sure Rolex would agree. Rolex is the world’s most ripped-off watch brand, and cheap copies of bestsellers such as the Submariner and DateJust are pretty much ubiquitous.
NIKE
Nike is the world’s most ｃounterfeited brand and its sneakers are fraudulently imitated by ｃounterfeiters, particularly in China. Certain lines, such as the Flyknit range are tricky to fake, but many Nike knockoffs are almost impossible to distinguish from the real McCoy.
APPLE
Apple is the most ｃounterfeited tech brand in the world and, like fake medications, bogus Apple goods are potentially fatal. In 2013, Ma Ailuna, a 23-year-old flight attendant from Xinjiang, China died after she was electrocuted by a ｃounterfeit iPhone charger.
MARC JACOBS
Marc Jacobs’ eponymous brand has been ripped-off left, right and center on the internet, so much so that LVMH, the brand’s parent company, recently filed a trademark infringement lawsuit in the US against 66 websites allegedly selling fake Marc Jacobs goods.
BULGARI
The Italian jewelry and luxury goods brand is renowned for its distinctive designs, and illegal copies of Bulgari bling are all too common. The brand’s iconic B.Zero1 ring is the fakers’ favorite.
SAMSUNG
The South Korean brand’s Galaxy line of smartphones is the most ｃounterfeited, the bulk of which emanate from factories in China and end up on shifty websites that target unsuspecting customers in the West.
MAC COSMETICS
Fake make-up can contain anything from cyanide and lead to mercury, so ｃounterfeits are potentially very dangerous. MAC Cosmetics is the world’s most ｃounterfeited make-up brand. Last year, a woman in the US was ordered to pay MAC just under $1 million (𧽮k) for selling $1 million-worth of fake make-up.
BURBERRY
The British heritage brand’s iconic check design is much-imitated, even by other respectable fashion brands. JC Penney recently settled a lawsuit with Burberry over an alleged ｃounterfeit plaid pattern.
SUPERMATCH
Kenyan cigarette brand SuperMatch is the most ｃounterfeited brand in the world in terms of the actual number of units confiscated. While the health risks of smoking are bad enough, fake tobacco products have been found to contain human excrement, asbestos and dead flies.
OTTERBOX
OtterBox manufacturers waterproof, ｄrop-proof iPhone cases, which are often pirated by ｃounterfeiters who tout their wares online. In 2014, the company had 84,000 dubious listings removed from Alibaba, Amazon and eBay.
Article Source: http://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/news/the-world%E2%80%99s-most-ｃounterfeited-brands/ss-BBsSfoc#image=1
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VOCABULARY WORDS:
1. Counterfeited (adj.) ~ made in imitation of what is genuine with the intent to defraud
2. Whopping (adj./ informal) ~ very large
3. Sought-after (adj.) ~ in demand generally desired
4. Parody (v.) ~ produce a humorously exaggerated imitation of (a writer, artist, or genre)
5. Awash (adj.) ~ containing large numbers or amounts of someone or something
6. Venerable (adj.) ~ accorded a great deal of respect, especially because of age, wisdom, or character
7. Lucrative (adj.) ~ producing a great deal of profit
8. Faux (adj.) ~ made in imitation artificial
9. Ubiquitous (adj.) ~ present, appearing, or found everywhere
10. Real McCoy (n./informal) ~ the real thing the genuine article
11. Eponymous (adj.) ~ (of a thing) named after a particular person
12. Emanate (v.) ~ originate from be produced by
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. Do you think it’s OK to buy ｃounterfeit products? Discuss your answer.
2. Have you heard of Alibaba? Have you ever purchased anything from this website? If yes, how was the quality of the merchandise? If no, would you ever?
3. Why do you think that some people opt to buy ｃounterfeit products even though they know that the quality is not that good? Explain your opinion.
4. How can you avoid buying ｃounterfeit medicines? Give suggestions.
