The Great Pretenders: Hilarious Heists in the Land of Knockoffs. - Counterfeit products!!

We all love brands, and brands are extensions of our personalities. The following anecdote illustrates the importance of brands in our lives. An NRI who just returned to India was travelling on a night train. Early in the morning, an opportunistic thief chopped off the NRI’s wrist. Instead of hollering in pain about his severed hand, the NRI was screaming, “I lost my Rolex, I lost my Rolex.”.

Logo Change!!!

Famous brands tend to be expensive. Rolex, Mercedes, Chanel bags, and others. Most customers can’t afford to buy the original brands. So, they resort to buying fakes or counterfeits. These counterfeits have many names; the first copy, almost like the original, was made in the USA (Ulaas Nagar Sindi Association). A list is given below:

Antacid gone Wrong or is it to make us buy Anacin!!

1) Replica: This term implies that the counterfeit product is a close copy or reproduction of the original, often to deceive consumers into believing they are purchasing the genuine item.

A (pear) of an Apple!!!

2) Knockoff: A knockoff is a product that imitates a popular or high-end item's design, appearance, or branding. Knockoffs are typically sold at lower prices than the original and may vary in quality.

Water for the Loo or water from the Loo?

3) Imitation: Imitation products closely resemble the original but are usually of lower quality and sold at a fraction of the price. They may feature similar branding and packaging to deceive consumers.

Cal vim (bar) Klain or Cal Vim Clean, I am confused!!

4) Fake: This straightforward term is often used to describe counterfeit products intentionally designed to mimic the appearance of the genuine item but are of inferior quality and lack the original's authenticity.

Quite a tid(y) title 

Colgate for the graphic Designers!!

5) First Copy: This term is commonly used in markets where counterfeit goods are prevalent to denote a product that is the first unauthorised copy of the original. It suggests that the product is a high-quality replica, often sold at a lower price than the genuine item.

Subday becomes Subnight!!! quite subdued. 

This is Indians with the surname Dave!!!

6) Class A/Copy A: These terms are frequently used in certain regions to describe counterfeit products that closely resemble the original but are not genuine. They may be marketed as high-quality replicas but are still illegal copies of the authentic product.

At night the signboard is turned and it becomes "Moon Bucks". And employees who work secretly on the side are called "Sunlighting"!!!

Fair my Love, Fair and lovely, Four love, difficult to identify the FAKE!!!

At the end of the day, all the above are counterfeits. While not necessarily a term used by counterfeiters themselves, "counterfeit" refers to products that are unauthorised copies or replicas of genuine products, often produced with the intent to deceive consumers and infringe upon trademarks and intellectual property rights.

Was it intentional or accidental?  - your guess is as good as mine

Goo-Girls, what next? Goo-Boys, Goo-Men and Goo-Women, sponsored by GOO!

In many cases, we, as customers, willingly buy products or services knowing that they are fake or counterfeit. This type of buying behaviour is called “willful counterfeiting,” and it satisfies esteem needs. The esteem needs are satisfied, but the consumer does want to pay a high price. While it is par for the course to buy counterfeit products in India, it is illegal in many countries and could lead to being arrested in France and Italy.

Wish the Chinese learn some English, nothing else to say!!!

A sony for Congress Party - Sonia"

But in many cases, counterfeiting is done to cheat the gullible customer, who does not know that the product is counterfeit. In many product categories, this can be harmful, unhealthy, and even hazardous. Some of the most counterfeited product categories include food, beverages, automobile parts, medicines, beauty products, and software.

Oh alright along with herpes, we do offer a Pizza free!

This is "Rid bull" - When an angry bull charges you - wave the Rid Bull at it!!

Almost a third of products in these categories are fake, which means revenue loss for the companies but a goldmine for counterfeiters. A staggering 1.7 trillion dollars is revenue loss due to counterfeit products throughout the world in 2015. It would have gone up by at least three times since then.

Come again - Hot Dog + MacDonald  = "HotDognalds"

Ray Beni - anyone??

Companies use various strategies to protect their brands and brand names from counterfeit and spurious competitors. Here are some common methods:

Puma for Upma lovers!!!

After eating that Upma straight to Coma!!!

1) Trademark Registration: Registering trademarks for brand names, logos, and other distinctive elements provides legal protection against unauthorised use. This allows companies to take legal action against counterfeiters.

KFC, KFG or KGF. Is it a rock, food joint or a Movie title

Seeing this, Steve Jobs must be saying "My foot!!"

2) Monitoring and Enforcement: Companies employ teams or use services to monitor the market for counterfeit products. When counterfeit or spurious competing brands are identified, legal action such as cease-and-desist letters, lawsuits, or working with law enforcement may be taken.

SFC, Sardar's Fried Chicken and this Sardar too is as genial as Colonel Sanders 

Polystation - is it for Poly students only!! Engineering students in BDU, Bahirdar, Ethiopia were called Poly Students!!! 

3) Packaging and Labelling: Implementing unique packaging designs, security features, and holograms can make it difficult for counterfeiters to replicate products. Specialised printing techniques, such as embossing or using unique materials, can also deter counterfeiters.

Katkot - Or is it "Cat caught" a KitKat for the cats!!!

See the Brazennees, Play Store, Google and Whatsapp Stores and no action!!

4) Effective Supply Chain Management: Ensuring the integrity of the supply chain helps prevent counterfeit products from entering circulation. This includes working closely with suppliers, conducting audits, and implementing track-and-trace systems.

This counterfeiter had a naughty idea - He was making fake Lays and he immediately called it Legs!! 

A bad (Mal) cigarette for the Boa (a snake)

5) Consumer Education: Educating consumers about how to identify genuine products and warning them about the risks of counterfeit goods can help build brand trust and loyalty. This may involve using authentication tools, such as QR codes or serial numbers, that allow consumers to verify product authenticity.

Pizza in the Hat, anyone!!

Pizza hit - you don't eat here - I will hit you!!!

6) Collaboration with Authorities: Companies often collaborate with customs agencies, law enforcement, and government agencies to intercept counterfeit products at borders and take legal action against counterfeiters.

A Like (r) of Nike - "I LIKE" - an honest counterfeiter!!!

Bored with an Orea have a "Borea" - will bore you to death

7) Online Brand Protection: With the rise of e-commerce, companies need to monitor online platforms and marketplaces for counterfeit products. Utilising automated monitoring tools and working with online platforms to remove counterfeit listings can help protect the brand's reputation.

How innovative for walking - Hike, a motorcycle Bike and what else??? 

Okay, okay so what!!

8) Litigation: In cases of severe infringement, companies may resort to litigation against counterfeiters to enforce their rights and seek damages for lost revenue and harm to their brand reputation.

A Nokia for the Gujjus - Ek Dhokla aur ek Nokla! 

If not for the Swoosh no one would have recognized this brand!! looks like Khainey!!

By employing a combination of these strategies, companies can reduce or try to reduce the risk of counterfeiting and protect their brands and brand names from spurious competition.

Trousers with the brand name Peytm. Classic case of fake/Spurious brands that imitate famous brands and the audacity of Indian manufacturers to get away with such practices!

The funniest part is that Paytm is an E-wallet company and is not a clothing brand. But in a world full of clutter, Paytm is a clutter cutter and it has a huge recall. And there are enough predatory vultures to take care of any opportunity to get a free promotional ride.

Keywords: Counterfeits, Knockoffs, Imitation, Fake products, Brand protection, Counterfeit goods, Replica items, Counterfeit market, Brand authenticity, Counterfeit prevention, Brand reputation,  Counterfeit detection,  Consumer education,  Supply chain integrity,  Legal action against counterfeiting,