Counterfeit Goods Are a $460 Billion Industry, and Most Are Bought and Sold Online

Footwear, electronics and eyeglasses top the knocked-off product list

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According to the International Trademark Association, $460 billion worth of counterfeit goods were bought and sold last year. Not surprisingly, much of it happened online. “The internet makes it easy to hide,” said INTA anti-counterfeiting coordinator Tiffany Pho.

But where online do most fake goods change hands? A new study from Red Points, a brand-protection firm based in Barcelona, Spain, shines a light into this shadowy realm.

Using data generated by its custom-built web crawlers that search for fake merchandise on behalf of its 200 clients, Red Points compiled a Top 10 list of sites where counterfeit goods are most frequently bought and sold.

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This story first appeared in the February 13, 2017, issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.