The knock-on effect of knock offs
The growing trade in counterfeit products knows no boundaries. What started initially many years ago as a small cottage industry, production and sales of ‘fake’ products has escalated to such a level that international organisations have formed in a united battle to combat this illegal and highly profitable trade. It’s a tough, uphill, struggle though.
In a bid to highlight the scale of counterfeit motorcycling accessories and the implications of buying cheap copies of quality-assured accessories, consumer champion John Milbank of Bennetts BikeSocial enlisted the help of UK-based Evotech Performance and the UK’s Anti-Counterfeiting Group. The result of which can be viewed in a compelling 50-minute video, ‘Fakes From China’, hosted on the Bennetts Bike YouTube site.
Evotech Performance is no stranger to counterfeit ‘theft.’ As a leading manufacturer of motorcycle accessories, its reputation for quality fabricated motorcycle accessories sold worldwide made it an obvious target for producers of fake goods.
To show the risks involved with buying counterfeit motorcycling accessories, intentionally or otherwise, Bennets BikeSocial’s John Milbank was supplied different examples of genuine EP Radiator Guards, EP Crash Protection and EP Front Spindle Bobbins.
Shopping online as a consumer for cheaper EP branded examples of the same products it didn’t take many minutes of marketplace searches to find such products. With China/Hong Kong responsible for 83%* of fake goods on the market, it was no surprise when the advertised products were purchased and delivered direct from Hong Kong.
The differences in quality (manufacture and fit) of the fake items compared to genuine EP products was eye-opening, not just to John Milbank, but also to Evotech Performance, even though the company has been trying to stem the tide of fake EP products by enlisting the services of a Trademark Lawyer and dedicated Brand Protection Team, and creating RCDs (Registered Community Designs) for its products, to give design protection (in the EU) over the parts that Evotech Performance design and produce.
“When John asked us if we would like to be involved, we were more than happy to help,” said Dan Rack of Evotech Performance. “The resulting video should hopefully deter buyers from buying blatant knock-offs of branded accessories – not just because of the appalling quality, but also because of the safety aspect and the fact that, as stated by the Anti-Counterfeiting Group, even though despite the price difference, there is a profit being made from fake goods and this profit usually ends up supporting other illegal activities.”
The UK-based Anti-Counterfeiting Group puts the monetary value of imported fake goods across the globe in the region of USD 464 billion. Dollars is the quoted rate because it’s the international currency for buying / selling. If that figure alone doesn’t hit hard about how far-reaching the level of counterfeiting is today, try £345 billion-sterling for size!
*Figure supplied by the Anti-Counterfeiting Group.