They are shying away from aggressive methods

According to a study conducted by AC Nielsen in India on 30 FMCG companies, eight out of every ten consumers who purchased pass-off products felt cheated and only knew after purchase that the product was a pass-off.?Each year in the UK, it is estimated that 4,100 jobs are lost because of counterfeiting - wrecking industries and draining funds which otherwise would have reached public services. It's the subculture of the business industry in the 21st century?The US FDA recalled $7 million worth of intra-aortic pumps used during open-heart surgery after it discovered malfunctioning counterfeit parts in the devices.?US investigators discovered that more than 600 helicopters sold to US civilians and NATO were equipped with counterfeit parts. Indeed "Counterfeiting will always exist."Gaurav BahirvaniBrand Development & PR Strategist.

The reasons they are so popular with counterfeiters is because they are money-spinning brands with wide appeal, easily reproduced and sold in the Indian market. Counterfeit products comprise $200 billion a year.Think about it. For counterfeiters, it is the easiest thing. And fake product manufacturers reap windfalls because there are barely any input costs, no safety standards involved, excise or taxes paid. Hologramming can cost between $500,000 and $5 million! Ironically, higher prices can push customers to switch product loyalties better than the best ad campaigns. They do their business at the cost of large corporations.?There are around 160 Web sites offering `genuine' Chanel products, despite the fact that Chanel doesn't sell any of its products on the Net. For most, the con job is easy to carry through. Though brands such as Pepsi and Coke in India have dropped prices substantially to make their products the flavour of the masses, spurious products still score because of poor consumer awareness.Only in India, the "fakes" market is estimated to be worth more than $2 billion and it's growing by nearly 20% every year. According to one source, adopting tamper-proof packaging and hologramming practices are prohibitive exercises that will raise prices and repel the cost-sensitive Indian buyer.

The problem is manifest across all product categories throughout the country - medicines, FMCG products, cosmetics, foodstuffs, aerated soft drinks, liquor, watches, clothes and even currency ?Counterfeit baby formula resulted in some babies developing rashes and seizures after imbibing.England, UK. Large global corporations spend millions of dollars developing a brand and once the brand becomes popular, millions of businessmen on the other side of the world start thinking about the strategy to increase their product lines! In other words, people running the counterfeit market seem much more smarter than an investment banker.Consider the figures. With the weak execution of Intellectual Property Rights and the growing corruption, there is no doubt that very soon one may find himself driving a counterfeited car! If you think it won't happen to you, think again.

They are shying away from aggressive methods, mainly because the Indian consumers' tendency has been to totally avoid the imitated product rather than determine whether it is authenticSOMETHING TO SPICE YOU UP FURTHERAccording to the Web site of De La Rue, a UK-based commercial security printer and papermaker involved in the production of over 150 national currencies and a wide range of security documents:?Ten per cent of perfumes and cosmetics and Shrimp Farming Aerators Manufacturers 11 per cent of clothing and footwear bought by consumers are fakes. Consumers are often unaware that they buy products that resemble what they want. But as far as knocking out counterfeiting completely is conceed, it'll never be gone and brands need to view counterfeit products just like any other competition.Counterfeit branding in one way is the smartest way of doing business in the 21st century. Unfortunately, say sources, the cost of the battle is to be boe totally by such companies