15-02-2008
1 in 5 have purchased a fake
A report by the BBC has highlighted the popularity of fake merchandise in the UK.
Conducted for the broadcaster's Money Programme, the report has found that one out of every five Britons have purchased a fake product, with 24 per cent of this group admitting to the purchase of counterfeit apparel or accessories.
According to the Anti-Counterfeiting Group, the business of selling fake or pirated products costs Britain's businesses a total of £11 billion every year.
"Consumers need to understand that by buying fakes they are not just getting a relative bargain, they are fanning the flames of a much deeper social problem, crime and criminality," said Simon Tracey, the author of a previous study entitled Counterfeiting Luxury, prepared by legal firm Davenport Lyons.
Brian Lewin of Trading Standards added in an earlier report by the BBC: "This money is undoubtedly finishing up with people who are involved in other forms of criminality."