High-end brands do not only offer quality products, they promote an idea of an exclusive lifestyle. It is all about the particular image that the brand carries with it. Easily available all around China, knockoff Gucci sunglasses or Louis Vuitton bags are promising this feeling of “exclusiveness” to anyone at very inviting prices.
Only for the poor?
Even wealthy people who can afford the original products often are not worried about buying a fake every once in a while. A media executive from China with an annual salary of about $80,000 interviewed by the Washington Postexplained that she no longer buys real handbags from luxury brands. – I realized that the quality of counterfeit stuff is not bad at all, and the price is one-tenth of the real products, she explained, and added she was never embarrassed to carry a fake.
Is it illegal to buy a “fake”?
Counterfeiting is a problem not only in China. Today, it represents about 5-8% of the annual world trade (however, due to the secretive nature of the industry, these figures cannot be substantiated). It is less risky and more profitable than many other illegal activities. People all around the world are often tempted to buy a fake. Not everybody realizes that even though it might seem like a harmless activity, counterfeiting is an actual crime. In Italy,a purchased counterfeited Rolex watch can cost you a steep fine, while in Franceit can even result in a prison term. However, these two countries are an exception. Everywhere else in the world it is illegal just to sell fake products, not to buy them. So, even though you face no legal charges for buying fake goods, does that mean that it is ok to do so?
Not a victimless crime
Counterfeiting is not a victimless crime. First of all, it has some very damaging effects on the economy, such as tax avoidance and a rise of the black market. Furthermore, the majority of the counterfeited items originate from the Far Eastern sweatshops, where the average worker is a child with no labour rights. Moreover, as the production process of counterfeits does not always respect safe production norms, wearing counterfeited garments can be risky for your own health. Some chemicalsu/sites/default/files/publications/counterfeitproducts.pdf) used in the making of a cheap “fake” can cause eye, skin and nasal irritation, respiratory problems, asthma and skin cancer.
Finally, the trade in counterfeit goods is often monopolized by organized crime syndicates. That is to say, by buying a fake Lacoste shirt, you become a link in the criminal chain as you may indirectly fund drug trafficking or human trafficking. So the next time you are tempted to buy a pair of fake Ray-Bans, think about the consequences.
(http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2012/10/10/china-to-become-second-largest-luxury-goods-market-worldwide)
11 February 2013
