To counterfeit means to imitate something authentic, with the intent to deceive individuals into believing that the counterfeit product is the real thing. Fake products or 'knock-offs' are products that resemble another item, but are not exactly identical.
A counterfeit is a fake or a forgery. If you painted an uncanny copy of the "Mona Lisa" and tried to pass it off as the original, you'd have a counterfeit on your hands.
A counterfeit is an item that uses someone else's trademark without their permission. By making or selling a counterfeit, criminals seek to profit unfairly from the trademark owner's reputation. Counterfeiting is a fraudulent imitation (a forgery) of a trusted brand and product, and it is a serious crime.
Counterfeit products range from high-end consumer luxury goods such as watches, perfumes or leather goods, to business-to-business products such as machines, chemicals or spare parts, to common consumer products such as toys, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and foodstuffs.
It's still counterfeiting even when the people buying and selling the merchandise are aware that it isn't from the real source–for instance, that the clothing isn't made by Calvin Klein. That's because even when a buyer knows that the product is a fake, the product can still be used to deceive others.
It is illegal to purchase counterfeit goods. Bringing them into the United States may result in civil or criminal penalties and purchasing counterfeit goods often supports criminal activities, such as forced labor or human trafficking.
Inspect the printing quality.
Look for blurry areas, especially in fine details such as around the borders. Look for colored fibers in the paper. All U.S. bills have tiny red and blue fibers embedded in the paper. Counterfeiters sometimes try to reproduce these by printing or drawing these fibers onto the paper.
If you hold it to the light you should see the Australian Coat of Arms. Since Australian money is printed on polymer, a type of plastic, a real bank note should go back to its original shape after being scrunched up. Banknotes are also difficult to tear and have fine line patterns on each side that are multi-coloured.
To bring certain goods into Australia you may need an import permit or approval. Copyright piracy and trademark counterfeiting are illegal. You may be legally prosecuted if you buy pirated or counterfeit items over the internet.
Anyone buying counterfeit goods may see the sub-standard materials and replica logos as a small price to pay for cut-price 'designer' brands. However, not only can many of the products cause harm, but profits from the sales may be used to help pay for other illegal activities such as drug dealing and human trafficking.
Consumers' personal sense of justice, adherence to law and their ability to stick to a set of moral values play a considerable part in their choice to buy fake goods.
Selling counterfeit products in Australia is a crime with legislation providing for a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment and two years for trademark offences.
If you buy something that isn't as described, or isn't satisfactory quality, you have statutory rights. This means you should be entitled to a refund or an exchange of goods. However, counterfeit sellers aren't easy to track down.
We don't allow counterfeit items or unauthorized copies to be listed on eBay. Items sold using a brand name or a brand logo must be original and made by the brand or manufactured on their behalf. Software, music, movies and other media must be original and not unauthorized copies.
It is because Chinese markets have access to all the resources required to produce counterfeits due to their high production rate, low-cost labour, and adaptive technologies setup by significant brands since the reform of China's economy in 1978.
According to the United States Department of Treasury, an estimated $70 million in counterfeit bills are in circulation, or approximately 1 note in counterfeits for every 10,000 in genuine currency, with an upper bound of $200 million counterfeit, or 1 counterfeit per 4,000 genuine notes.
You have the legal right to a refund if you've bought something that's fake or counterfeit. You can also report the seller to Trading Standards or report the seller for fraud. Trading Standards might take legal action against the seller, but they can't help you to get your money back.
The manufacture and sales of counterfeit goods is illegal. Buying counterfeit goods, however, is not illegal, even if you do so knowingly.
According to the United States Department of Justice, it's not illegal to buy a counterfeit product for your personal use—even if you know it's a fake.
You aren't breaking the law if you only purchase a counterfeit handbag or a knockoff designer handbag. However, if you attempt to resell a counterfeit handbag, you can legally be charged. Before purchasing a counterfeit designer handbag or cheap knockoff, you should consider who you are supporting with such purchases.
If you have purchased fake or counterfeit goods, including designer clothing, handbags, shoes, cosmetics, perfume and hair straighteners — do not bring them to Australia. You will not only risk losing your goods, but risk having to pay huge penalties and face prosecution.
Australia does not condone counterfeit sales and has a resolute ban on any fake goods including designer and brand name clothing, handbags, shoes, hair straighteners and perfume.
Counterfeiting in Australia has been steadily declining since its peak in 2015. The Bank received around 17,000 counterfeits in 2021 with a total value of just over $1,300,000. This is small relative to the total number of banknotes in circulation (at around 2 billion notes, worth $102 billion).