The New Age of Flattery – When Imitators can be Fatal.

To Counterfeit or not counterfeit, that is the question many business people ask when faced with the decadent opportunity to make millions just by copying.

It is estimated that counterfeiting is a $600 billion a year problem. In fact, it’s a problem that has grown over 10,000 percent in the past two decades, in part fueled by consumer demand. In areas such as military articles, unsuspecting buyers inadvertently put the supply chain at risk and the lives of our service men and women.  In third world countries, thousands of people die each year from counterfeit pharmaceuticals.  I for one witnessed the carnage from these types of counterfeits, its real effects on every-day lives.  People who purchase counterfeit merchandise risk funding nefarious activities, contributing to unemployment, creating budget deficits and compromising the future of this country in the global economy. Counterfeiters are hardened criminals, exploiting consumers, businesses both large and small, inventors and artists and children laboring in sweatshops in Third World countries.

The Facts:

• Counterfeiting costs U.S. businesses $200 billion to $250 billion annually.
• Counterfeit merchandise is directly responsible for the loss of more than 750,000 American jobs.
• Since 1982, the global trade in illegitimate goods has increased from $5.5 billion to approximately $600 billion annually.
• Approximately 5%-7% of the world trade is in counterfeit goods.
• U.S. companies suffer $9 billion in trade losses due to international copyright piracy.
• Counterfeiting poses a threat to global health and safety.Consider the DANGEROUS FAKES:
• The Food and Drug Administration estimates that counterfeit drugs account for 10% of all drugs sold in the United States.
• The Federal Aviation Administration estimates that 2% of the 26 million airline parts installed each year are counterfeit, which equals approximately 520,000 parts.
• In 2003, the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association cited safety violations due to counterfeit auto parts: brake linings made of compressed grass, sawdust or cardboard; transmission fluid made of cheap oil that is dyed; and oil filters that use rags for the filter element.

The solution to the counterfeiting dilemma rests in the hands of many specialized companies like Inkode.com, Revenue Division (formerly Meyercord), DSSsecure, and Opsecs just to name a few.  We are committed to helping companies fight the onslaught of counterfeiters who tarnish their brands, destroy lives and create devastating economic hardship in the marketplace.