OECD: Trade of counterfeit goods on the rise
Trade of illegal counterfeit goods has increased from 2.5 per cent to 3.3 per cent of world trade. This rise is in large part driven by bargain-hunting consumers.
Illegal shoes, cosmetics, auto parts and foods.
The market for counterfeit goods continues to grow. In a new report the OECD and the European Intellectual Property Office, EUIPO, estimate that trade of illegal counterfeit goods has increased from 2.5 per cent to 3.3 per cent of world trade, equivalent to about DKK 3,346 billion.
Furthermore, it is estimated that imports to the EU of counterfeit goods have grown explosively from 5 per cent to 6.8 per cent, writes the Danish Patent and Trademark Office.
This is a drastic increase in the trade of counterfeit goods, and figures that make an impression. Illegal counterfeit goods are harmful to society, to companies and, not least, to the Danish consumers who are exposed to health and safety risks. Barbara Suhr Jessen, Head of Department at the Danish Patent and Trademark Office.
The Department at the Danish Patent and Trademark Office coordinates the cooperation between twelve different authorities in Denmark to counteract counterfeit goods.
Counterfeit goods harm consumers and businesses
At the Confederation of Danish Industry (DI), Senior Advisor Lars Holm Nielsen notes that piracy is an anti-social activity largely driven by bargain-hunting consumers.
“That’s why the Confederation of Danish Industry supports measures to increase consumer awareness regarding the risks you subject yourself and your surroundings to – before you click to complete your order,” says the senior advisor.
He says that it is deeply frustrating for companies producing original products to witness the burgeoning trade in fake goods.
“Counterfeit manufacturers produce low-quality products without being accountable to their customers. The responsibility is palmed off on the companies that invest a lot of resources in innovation, product development and marketing,” says Lars Holm Nielsen.
The Confederation of Danish Industry calls for stricter and more targeted measures counteracting counterfeit trade.
“We need to make it easier to block the websites that sell pirated copies and to stop the scheme making it possible to send small parcels from China with an unfair competitive advantage,” says Lars Holm Nielsen.
