possession. Therefore a consumer possessing a fake Louis Vuitton bag can be
arrested on the streets of France and stands the risk of spending a minimum
of two years in jail. Although this measure may be perceived as drastic by
some authorities, it has guaranteed an almost 100 per cent absence of fake
luxury goods in France. Italy is also another country that has shown serious-
ness in fighting counterfeiting although the country is also a manufacturing
centre of fake luxury goods. Representatives of several Italian luxury brands
are often found at major Italian airports informing travellers of their risk of
being fined for purchasing fake luxury goods whether at home or abroad.
Luxury brands however need to move beyond focusing on winning the
battle against the suppliers of fake luxury goods. Making the ownership of
fake luxury goods illegal just as pirated CDs and DVDs is a step towards this.
In addition, an understanding of the demographic and behavioural profiles of
the counterfeit luxury consumers will provide a platform for creating better
counter-strategies to eradicate the demand for the goods.
Interestingly, a large proportion of luxury consumers in different markets
are opposed to the sale of fake luxury goods and several consumers are even
willing to join in the battle against this practice. Yet numerous other
consumers would consider purchasing fake luxury goods if presented with an
opportunity to do so while on holiday. In Hong Kong for example, one of the
popular tourist activities is a visit to the fake luxury goods markets. This is
perilous for the luxury industry and shows that even core luxury consumers
could contribute to the demand for counterfeits. However, if the ownership of
fake luxury goods becomes illegal, consumers will be wary of being found
with counterfeit luxury goods. Luxury companies therefore must collaborate
with various governments in order to make the ownership of counterfeit
luxury goods illegal.
One of the biggest problems of counterfeiting is that consumers do not
view the trade as a crime similar to selling fake drugs because they believe
that there are no serious victims. The only casualties they see are the brands
but these brands are perceived as highly profitable companies therefore
consumers assume that the problem of counterfeit trade has no drastic conse-
quences. The reality is that the problem of fake luxury goods is grave both for
consumers and for brands.
Several consumers and brand analysts have argued that counterfeiting has
numerous advantages. Prominent of these is the theory that if a brand is
copied, it means that the brand has a strong reputation. Others have said that
fake and counterfeit products are an extension of the advertisement of the true
brand. Yet others have indicated that counterfeit trade provides employment
opportunities for poor people in the countries where they’re manufactured.
These justifications have no concrete basis just as defending an apparent
crime in front of a jury stands no chance.
Counterfeiting is theft irrespective of the way it is evaluated. It is similar
to purchasing a fake ticket or a fake property. The buyer supports crime, steals174
luxury fashion branding