Monday, September 10, 2007

Two Thirds of Britons Faking It!

Around one in eight British shoppers has bought a counterfeit watch, handbag or other product in the last year as it becomes more socially acceptable, a study by lawyers Davenport Lyons and Ledbury Research has found. "The most dramatic change in attitudes towards fakes is that they have reached their tipping point. They have become socially acceptable," the study said. Two-thirds of Britons readily admit to peers that they have bought a counterfeit product, it showed. But it also that found just under a third of the buyers of fake goods said the experience made them more likely to buy the genuine one!

Market stalls are the primary source of fake goods, but the trade has increased as people travel more to destinations where such products are more readily available and access online websites such as eBay, the study said.

The counterfeit market is growing fast and affects everything from cigarettes to aircraft components, so it’s not only costing money – it could also cost lives.

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Illicit Trade and Product Counterfeit is one of the subjects covered during Security Management Stage 3. Dates for forthcoming Security Management Stage 3 Courses are:

24 September – 5 October 2007 (UK)
2 – 13 December 2007 (Bangladesh)
12 – 23 May 2008 (UK)
22 September – 3 October 2008 (UK)