Counterfeit goods (Fake goods)

Counterfeit goods are products offered to the market from a manufacturer under the brand name of another company without the permission of the original owners. Counterfeit goods could carry fully identical or copied with indistinguishable differences trademarks that belong to the original products. Their quality is always poor. The practice of producing and selling Counterfeit goods is illegal and punishable by criminal and civil laws. Depending on the type of product put in this vicious practice, counterfeiting could be highly harmful to consumers (i.e. counterfeit baby food, medications, nutrients, cosmetics). It also damages brand owners’ reputation, retailers of the original products as well as local economies with loss of custom tax and duties.

See also: Manufacturer’s image