COUNTERFEIT news and archive

These are the most counterfeit sneakers

As Oscar Wilde said, “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”. For sneaker manufacturers, however, this is only a small consolation, because they miss out on much revenue each year - millions, to be sure, because according to estimates, the global sneaker market is worth more than 81 billion British pounds (100 billion US dollars). When...

Fashion Featured

Young shoppers can't get enough of counterfeit goods

In February of this year, a woven leather bag went viral on TikTok. Featuring a knotted handle and familiar weaving technique of impeccable construction, it should have been the Jodie bag designed by Bottega Veneta. Instead it was a ‘dupe’ by high street retailer Anthropologie, as shown in a video by Tia Allen. ‘Dupes’ has become a popular...

Business

Amazon highlights ambitions on counterfeit prevention in latest report

Online retailer Amazon published its third annual Brand Protection Report last week, revealing the highest number of criminal referrals and industry partnerships than ever before, which are linked to the company’s efforts to protect customers, brands and selling partners from counterfeit products. The report highlights four main areas: robust...

Fashion Featured

Etsy exposed as major counterfeiting platform

Etsy this week has been exposed as a platform where counterfeit goods are easily bought and sold. A scathing report by Citron Research states “we believe management has knowingly or, at the very least, negligently, turned this company into the largest organized clearing house for counterfeit goods in the world while not only allowing the...

BusinessFeatured

Amazon and Cartier team up in the fight against counterfeit goods

The global fight against counterfeit goods has seen an unimaginable pairing up of businesses, namely Cartier, the French haute jeweller, and online behemoth Amazon. The companies announced two joint lawsuits against a social media influencer and eight other entities for advertising, promoting, and facilitating the sale of counterfeit luxury...

Fashion Featured

More young Europeans are buying counterfeit goods, says report

Young Europeans are buying more counterfeit products and continue to access pirated content. In a 2022 study of people aged 15-24 across the EU by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), findings show 37 percent of young people bought one or several fake products intentionally in the last 12 months. This is up from 12 percent in...

Fashion

Luxury accounts for over half of seized counterfeit goods

Over half of seized counterfeit goods in the U.S. are luxury items, with 435 million dollars of seized watches and jewellery and 283 million dollars of seized leather goods in 2020. Data from Statista shows luxury items such as watches, jewellery, handbags and wallets accounted for more than 50 percent of the seized merchandise’s retail value,...

Fashion

AAFA welcomes USTR’S Notorious Markets Report - one tool in an urgent effort to curb counterfeits

The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) praised today’s release of the 2021 Review of Notorious Markets by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). Unsafe counterfeits lurk everywhere we turn, including a number of trusted, and emerging, e-commerce platforms. Year over year, we are pleased that USTR — and other...

Business

US cites China's AliExpress, WeChat for selling counterfeit goods

Washington - Chinese e-commerce sites AliExpress and WeChat were added to the US government's list of "notorious" markets amid complaints they trade in counterfeit goods, a practice that causes significant harm to American firms. The list, released by the US Trade Representative (USTR) on Thursday, shines a light on markets Washington says...

Fashion

AAFA flags extensive counterfeit concerns on social media in notorious markets submission

AAFA submitted comments to the Office of the United States Trade Representative recommending platforms and marketplaces – including Facebook and Instagram – for Notorious Market designations. The American Apparel & Footwear Association cited significant increases in the availability of counterfeit products via social media in its submission for...

BusinessFeatured

European consumers facing more risks than ever due to fake products sold online

A new study by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) says consumers are facing ever more risks due to buying fake products online. A surge in e-commerce counterfeit from nearly every sector, including fashion, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, can pose great safety and health concerns. Findings from the study European Citizens and...

Fashion Featured

Shein, the Chinese fast fashion giant, is plagued for copying western brands

Shein, the Chinese fast fashion company making a splash in the west, is the latest Chinese platform allegedly selling counterfeit goods. Now the largest cross-border e-commerce player in China, Shein has seen fast growing audiences in the US, France, Russia, Germany and 200 other countries, but not without controversy. The explosion of Shein’s...