Have you ever purchased a counterfeit good? Most reading this would answer in the negative, but do you really know? Counterfeiters are in the business of deception and have mastered the art of imitation, disguising potentially dangerous fakes as real products. At best, the illicit good will serve its basic function while lining the pockets of criminals. At worst, it could fail and cause harm to you and your family.

Recently, the Chamber's Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC) took to the streets of Times Square, where our new Dangerous Fakes video advertisement is airing, to ask everyday consumers if they can tell the difference between fake and legitimate goods. While a handful of folks successfully identified the imposter products, many missed the mark. 

The dangers of fake medicines, cribs for infants, and extension cords may be obvious, but you might wonder what the problem is with counterfeit shoes or shirts. Some of these products are made with unsafe materials. In some instances, lead paint has even been used to color children’s shoes. But beyond the health concerns involved with these products, they also endanger the jobs of workers who are employed by companies getting ripped-off.

This multi-billion dollar industry of fakes results in a lose-lose for American consumers and workers. Fakes can be dangerous to our health, dangerous to our economy, and dangerous to our jobs.

To learn more about Dangerous Fakes, please visit www.DangerousFakes.com for consumer tips and facts on counterfeiting and piracy.

To find out more about our ongoing consumer education campaign in Times Square, read these related posts:

• Faked Out in Times Square
• Somewhere, Carrie Bradshaw is Crying: Fake Louboutins Seized
• Don’t Believe Your Eyes