The best way to spot fakes is not by studying the counterfeits but by learning everything about the real thing until you practically start dreaming about it. Or at least that’s what some of our buddies say when we asked them how to spot fakes. Of course, these falsies are everywhere – from medicines to perfumes to bags to cellphones and even laundry soap.
A psychologist said that some people buy fake products unknowingly, but there are a lot more who purchase products willingly despite knowing that these are counterfeit for so many reasons. They want the prestige attached to owning a branded item without having to pay an arm and a leg, or they couldn’t care less that they are breaking the law. And then there are those who think they are putting one over big business when they buy fakes that are priced far below the original products.
The recent statement of Alibaba founder Jack Ma (yup, the guy who shared the spotlight with our very own Aisa Mijeno and US President Barack Obama during the recent Apec Summit) that fake goods sometimes (or often) turn out to be better than the original has opened a floodgate of controversy, particularly from US and European manufacturers who are oftentimes the victims of fake good manufacturers mostly coming from China.
While Alibaba does not directly sell products, it’s the one that facilitates purchases through its online platform. Critics of Ma and Alibaba have complained that the online site has become a breeding ground for counterfeit products because it makes it easy for people to buy knock-off goods. Alibaba’s core, Taobao, handles more than 90 percent of the local consumer-to-consumer market in China while the Tmall platform covers more than 50 percent of consumer-to-consumer transactions.
Following his “controversial statement,” Ma has since clarified that Alibaba has “zero tolerance” for fakes. “Failing to protect original designs, trademarks and technology is akin to thievery, and it is detrimental not only to innovation but also to the integrity of the marketplace,” the Alibaba founder stated. “We do not and will never condone any act of stealing,” he reiterated, but this has been received with a lot of skepticism.
Estimates place the amount of fake trade at a quarter of a trillion pounds according to a recent study from the UK. It would appear that piracy as an industry has increased a lot in just a decade, with fake goods now estimated to make up 2.5 percent of all international trade, up from 1.9 percent in 2005 – and these do not even include figures from file sharing and illegal downloads.
In the Philippines, the problem of fakes is also getting a lot of attention, so much so that the Homeland Security Agency has seen fit to conduct a workshop for the NBI and the PNP on how to enforce action against intellectual property violators and most importantly, how they can successfully prosecute violators. Undoubtedly, law enforcement plays a major role in curbing the proliferation of fakes – from investigation to apprehension down to successful prosecution.
According to reports, China is the biggest source of fake goods with 63 percent of apprehended items traced back to manufacturers from China. But then again, the business of fakes wouldn’t really grow this big if people didn’t patronize these products knowingly.
For comments, reactions, photos, stories and related concerns, readers may email to [email protected]. You may also visit and like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/happyhourmanilastandard. We’d be very happy to hear from you. Cheers!
