Counterfeiting: The Facts

Worlwide companies are increasingly under attack from counterfeiters who are stealing billions of dollars annually in revenue and profits; undermining public trust in valuable brands; and in extreme cases causing injury and even death to unsuspecting consumers.

Often the first line of defence is the use of authentication technology, in order to quickly and positively identify genuine from fake products. This guide aims to help you make the most of such technologies and ensure they work for you as part of an effective strategy to protect products and their users from fraud.

The Facts

	The World Health Organisation estimates that 6-10% of worldwide drug sales are counterfeit.
	In 2002, 220 Bangladeshi children died after being given fake meningitis vaccine.
	The Food & Drug Administration has quadrupled its counterfeit pharmaceutical investigations since 2000.
	The Gulf News reported that sales of replicated cosmetics are estimated at $210 million in the region.
	According to the World Health Organisation, 70-80% of profits from counterfeit products from the Asia Pacific region are used to finance organised crime and terror groups.
	There is a clear and established link between the sale of fake DVDs and people smuggling from China.
	It has recently been estimated that the sale of counterfeit goods over the Internet exceeds $30 Billion per year, of which around 75% is through online auction sites.

The most common types of fakes are:

• Designer labelled clothes, watches, perfume and cosmetics.
• Alcohol.
• CDs, DVDs, video and audio tapes.
• Computer software, such as games.
• Vehicle parts.
• DIY tools.

Sources:

Anti Counterfeiting Group
counterfeit.com
World Health Organisation
US Chamber of Commerce