Report Puts Price on Value of Fakes
The value of fake goods traded internationally could be as high as $200 billion - larger than the national GDPs of about 150 economies - according to a preliminary study published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), reports Managing Intellectual Property. The OECD says that the figure would be even higher if it included counterfeit and pirated products that are produced and consumed domestically, or if it included pirated digital products distributed online. The statistic is based on figures provided by Customs offices about the value of goods they have seized. Wolfgang Hubner, a counsellor in the OECD's Directorate for Science, Technology and Industry, said that this figure is often - but not always - based on the market value of the fake good. The report also analyzes the market for fake and pirated goods and the reasons why people buy them, offers a 17-point framework for assessing the impact of counterfeiting, considers how different countries have tackled the problem and sets out policy recommendations for governments.
