Counterfeiting, just how big is the problem?

Counterfeiting affects almost every sector across the globe. You may be surprised just how big the issue is! Therefore, in this section we have provided some links and resources to help you discover for yourself that  it's not just someone else's problem.

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"If the knock-off economy was a business, it would be the world’s biggest, twice the size of Wal-Mart, its nearest competitor"
- Knockoff: The deadly trade in counterfeit goods” page 3.

"Trade can raise living standards for millions. But a vibrant trade system must be based on fairness and trust. All countries benefit from honest commerce. All countries suffer from dishonest commerce. Today's pirates are more clever and steal more than the bandits of the high seas from an earlier time. It is tougher to track them down and shut them down but we must succeed."
- Frederik Balfour in "Fakes!”, Business Week.

"The World Customs Organisation estimates counterfeiting accounts for 5% to 7% of global merchandise trade, equivalent to lost sales of as much as $512 billion last year"
- U.S.Trade Representative Rob Portman (March 15, 2006), from www.stopfakes.com