The trade in counterfeited goods is a multibillion-dollar business. A whopping $464 billion (£342bn) worth of counterfeited items are sold a year, according to the most recent figures from the OECD and the EU's Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), with American brands the most frequently faked. Read on as we reveal the world's most counterfeited brands, from designer clothing to potentially deadly drugs. All dollar values in US dollars
The high-performance outdoor apparel favorite is one of the most counterfeited brands in the world. In December 2015, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) seized 50,000 fake North Face jackets from a warehouse in New York State. Clothing is the second most counterfeited sector in the world and 62% of fake garments originate from China. Pictured are North Face products intercepted by New Jersey State Police in Columbus, New Jersey.
While its much sought-after watch and jewellery designs are frequently targeted by counterfeiters, Cartier is fighting back. In 2016 the luxe French company won a court ruling in the UK ordering internet service providers to block websites selling fakes of its products, though two years later the Supreme Court ruled that Cartier should finance the website-blocking order itself. The photo shows 2,000 fake Cartier watches being crushed by a steamroller on New York's Fifth Avenue.
Famously parodied by designer Brian ‘Homiès’ Lichtenberg, Hermès has often fallen prey to counterfeiters, with its Birkin bag, silk scarves and ties the most ripped-off products. Its leather goods have also been copied; counterfeit Hermès belts worth $3.2 million (£2.3m) were impounded at the Port of Los Angeles in July 2015, while the photo shows thousands of Hermès wallets confiscated in Hakodake, Japan.
The internet is awash with guides on how to spot a pair of phoney Levi’s jeans and for very good reason. The definitive denim brand is no stranger to being imitated by fraudsters. Classic 501s and 550s are the most pirated styles, especially valuable vintage pre-1970 Big E 501s. Pictures are fake Levi's jeans on sale at a market in China.
The venerable American jewellery brand is highly covetable and its prestigious designs have been widely plagiarised. In 2010 Tiffany & Co. filed a lawsuit against eBay after research proved that almost three-quarters of Tiffany branded products sold on the platform were fake. The company has also sued Costco for selling imitation diamond rings. Pictured is a fraudulent Tiffany & Co. website originating from China.
Coach leather goods are regularly targeted by counterfeiters. In 2014, Coach was awarded $5.5 million (£4m) in a judgment case against Swap Shop, a Florida flea market that was selling fake bags. Two years earlier, Coach won a $44 million (£32m) judgment against a New York-based mother-and-daughter team that was operating several fake Coach websites. The photo shows a pair of sandals intercepted by the Department of Homeland Security in San Francisco.
Fake fashion may be a big problem but at least it doesn’t kill anybody. Counterfeit medication on the other hand, such as faux versions of the swine flu drug Tamiflu, are estimated to kill at least one million people a year, according to world police agency Interpol. A staggering 10% of medication in the global supply chain is believed to be counterfeit and the issue has been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. In October 2020, Peter Pitts of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest described counterfeit medication as a "spreading cancer", with the FDA claiming around 97% of online pharmacies are now selling fake drugs.
The Pharmaceutical Security Institute reports that 37% of all fake medicines seized are erectile dysfunction drugs and, unsurprisingly, Viagra is now the second most counterfeited drug in the world. In fact, research from 2012 found that a whopping 77% of Viagra bought from 22 different websites were counterfeit. At the end of 2020, U.S Customs and Border Protection seized a shipment of counterfeit goods from China worth $32 million (£23.5m), including more than one million fake Viagra pills (pictured).
Cialis, another popular erectile dysfunction drug, has overtaken Viagra as the world’s most counterfeited medication. The problem is so acute that the US Food and Drug Association issued a warning in 2015 after a shipment of fake Cialis was intercepted in the mail system. The photo shows counterfeit Cialis and Viagra pills and boxes displayed at a news conference at the Sherman Block Sheriffs Headquarters in Los Angeles.
Love them or loathe them, the Australian brand’s sheepskin boots are perennially in demand, a fact that clearly hasn’t been lost on the counterfeiters of the world. Around 2.5 million pairs of faux Uggs were seized between 2007 and 2017. Shoes are consistently the most counterfeited products in the world, with a total of 27,119 seizures in 2013 alone. Pictured are fake Ugg boots displayed at the U.S. Justice Department in Washington DC.
The brand’s quintessential logo polo shirts, which sell for a premium, are relatively easy for counterfeiters to copy, which could explain why Polo Ralph Lauren is one of the most ripped-off brands in the world. The photo shows a faux Ralph Lauren polo shirt, complete with spelling mistakes, intercepted at East Midlands Airport in the UK.
As dangerous as fake drugs, counterfeit cigarettes are a huge problem worldwide. In Turkey, for example, 16.2 billion fake cigarettes a year are thought to be smoked in the country and President Erdogan has even described fake tobacco as more dangerous than terrorism. Samsun, Turkey’s bestselling tobacco brand, is frequently targeted by counterfeiters.
Fake merch is the scourge of the Walt Disney Company, especially ripped-off Frozen toys that are made in China. The Chinese authorities undertook a major crackdown on faux products, such as the Mickey Mouse underwear pictured, in the run-up to the opening of Shanghai Disney Resort in 2016. However, the People's Republic isn't the only country shipping out fake goods. That same year, police in Norfolk, Virginia seized nearly $148,000 (£109k) worth of counterfeit Disney and Nickelodeon merchandise that had originated from Egypt.
One of the world’s most faked brands, Michael Kors pulled out of the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition in 2016 because Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba had been given permission to join the Group. Alibaba has frequently been accused of listing counterfeit products; in fact, in February this year the US added sites run by Chinese companies Alibaba and Tencent to its list of 'notorious markets'. Pictured are faux Michael Kors products at a market in China, while similar goods were also among a haul worth €50,000 ($61,700/£44,450) that was seized by Irish police from a market in February 2018.
Gucci joined Michael Kors in quitting the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition due to Alibaba’s involvement. The luxury Italian brand also announced a crackdown on paper copies of its bags in China; paper fakes are traditionally burned at funerals in the country as offerings for the deceased. The photo shows a poor copy of a Gucci make-up bag found in China.
From its quilted 2.55 bag and chic wallets to the popular No 5 fragrance, Chanel products are often targeted by counterfeiters exploiting the prestige of the French fashion house’s wares. A staggering 475,056 bottles of fake perfume, including Chanel, were seized at Los Angeles and Long Beach ports between October 2017 and January 2018. Earlier this year, the UK's Mail on Sunday revealed the Chinese-run online marketplace DHGate was listing a fake Chanel handbag for £51 ($69).
Although Louis Vuitton is one of the world’s most pirated luxury brands, parent company LVMH is extremely proactive in protecting its trademarks and copyright. The high-end French conglomerate reportedly spends €15 million ($18.5m/£13.4m) a year fighting the fakers. Its efforts aren't entirely successful though. South Korea said it seized more counterfeit Louis Vuitton products than any other brand between 2012 and 2016, while authenticator site Entrupy claimed that 50.9% of the fake products it identified in 2019 were counterfeit Louis Vuitton. The photo shows a sales assistant displaying a fake Louis Vuitton monogram bag at a store in Beijing.
Marc Jacobs’ eponymous brand has been ripped off left, right, and centre on the internet, so much so that LVMH, the brand’s parent company, filed a trademark infringement lawsuit in the US against 66 websites allegedly selling fake Marc Jacobs goods back in 2015. It subsequently announced it was seeking damages of $25,000 (£18.4k) per copyright violation.
The Italian jewellery and luxury goods brand is renowned for its distinctive designs, and illegal copies of Bulgari bling are all too common. The brand’s iconic B.Zero1 ring is apparently the fakers’ favourite.
Fake tech products are also flooding the market and Samsung is one of the most affected brands. The South Korean company’s Galaxy line of smartphones is the most counterfeited, the bulk of which emanate from factories in China and end up on websites that target unsuspecting customers in the West. However, these subpar smartphones can be found all over the world. In 2019, 213 mobile handsets and over 1,000 tech accessories were seized from seven shops in Nairobi, many of which bore fake Samsung branding.
The British heritage brand’s iconic check design is much-imitated, even by other respectable fashion brands. JC Penney, for instance, settled a lawsuit with Burberry over an alleged counterfeit plaid pattern back in 2016. A decade ago Burberry was awarded $100 million (£73.4m) by a Manhattan court after it ruled that online Chinese stores had infringed its copyright – and to prevent the infringement from happening again, the company routinely destroys its excess stock. Although this is common practice amongst luxury brands, Burberry came under fire in 2018 when it was revealed it had burned £28 million ($38m) worth of clothing, accessories, and beauty products.
Apple is the most counterfeited tech brand in the world and, like fake medications, bogus Apple goods are potentially fatal. In 2013, Ma Ailuna, a 23-year-old flight attendant from China, died after she was electrocuted by a counterfeit iPhone charger. The photo shows two fake iPhones on display at a smartphone market in Shanghai.
When it comes to the actual number of units confiscated, Kenyan cigarette brand SuperMatch is believed to be the most counterfeited brand in the world. The health risks of smoking are bad enough, but fake tobacco products have been found to contain asbestos, dead flies, and even human excrement. The problem extends all over the world and has been exacerbated by border closures during the pandemic, with research from last year revealing that 34% of the tobacco smoked in north-east England is counterfeit or contraband.
Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery but we’re not sure Rolex would agree. Rolex is often described as the world's most ripped-off brand, with iconic bestsellers such as the Submariner and DateJust some of the most frequently faked models. Pictured is a French customs official displaying two fake Rolex watches that were confiscated at France's Lyon–Saint-Exupéry Airport.
Yeezy sneakers became instant bestsellers when Adidas announced its collaboration with the rapper Ye, formerly Kanye West, back in 2013. Almost a decade on and these shoes are now some of the most counterfeited on the market. This is partly because genuine Yeezys can be difficult to find; most editions are sold in limited production runs, which means originals can be sold on for hugely inflated prices. For instance, a 2017 report in the Los Angeles Times claimed that pairs of 'pirate black' Yeezys were being resold for seven-and-a-half times their retail price.
Now take a look at the world's most and least counterfeited currencies