The worst damage a trademark could suffer from is counterfeiting, for this reason actions to reduce this phenomenon must be taken.
The report on the anti-counterfeiting policies analyzes the actions carried out between 2022-2023 by the Italy’s Second Division of the General Direction for Intellectual Property (Divisione II della Direzione Generale per la Proprietà Industriale) to fight counterfeits.
The most affected fields
As expected, clothing is the most affected field, which together with accessories and shoes, constitutes more than 70% of the counterfeiting market. Electronic apparatus, watches, jewelry and eyewear follow. New production and distribution trends occur instead in the cosmetic field.
Measures against counterfeiting
Awareness and education are the two keywords against counterfeiting.
In this regard, many initiatives focused on different targets have been organized:
- for consumers, a new campaign with an anti-counterfeiting message has been launched;
- for young people, video and engaging moments have been organized;
- for stakeholders – such as consumers, companies, IP owners, academics, institutions and law enforcements –the “Anti-counterfeiting Week” has been promoted each year
Buying fake products is never a good deal
A Radio-TV RAI broadcaster’s slogan launched for the 2022 Counterfeiting Week goes “Buying fake products is never a good deal”. The message is simple, but the reasoning behind it is strong.
As a matter of facts, not only buying fakes is a damage to the brand that suffers counterfeiting and to the national economy, but also – and above all – it damages ourselves.
From counterfeiting we all lose. By purchasing counterfeited goods, people accept an inevitably low-quality product and the purchased goods, beside quickly deteriorating, could harm people’s health.
The campaign included a general commercial and four thematic commercials on online counterfeiting, make-up products, clothing and Italian sounding.
Protecting Made in Italy
Made in Italy, beside representing internationally the beauty, identity and value of Italy, is a mark that allows to trade goods and commodities of the highest quality.
To become more aware of this topic, in addition to the Italian Sounding ad, the video “Italia Geniale” was created to focus on Italian creativity and trace the history of the industrial design back from the 1960s to today.
Every time someone purchases a fake product, they undermine that tradition and work, and damage the economy, puttin companies and jobs at risk.
Raise awareness: focus on the youth
In the context of bringing awareness, however, the greatest challenge is surely the one involving the perception of fake products by the youth. Educating young people on this topic involves the institutions, but also families that become an essential ally to face this and other challenge for a better future.
In 2023 was conducted a survey on minors and their perception of fake market. 70% of over 1300 minors between the age of 10 and 17 who took part of the survey did not know for sure the meaning of the term “counterfeiting”, and one in two stated to have purchased fake goods without being aware of it.
Numbers that surely invite us all to reflect.
Amedeo Sebastiani