Craftsmanship in Europe: past, present and future. PRESENTATION ON FAKE GOODS

1. Craftsmanship in Europe: past, present and future. PRESENTATION ON FAKE GOODS

2. Some facts about counterfeit products… The fake goods industry is not the victimless crime you might imagineit to be. It might seem like a harmless activity but serious organisedcrime gangsmonopolise the trade in counterfeit goods. In other words,if you buy a fake designer bag or knock-off sunglasses, it is the finallink in a chain that profits criminals who can be involved inpeople-smuggling, drug trafficking and even terrorism. And these criminal enterprises are going to make the product as quicklyand cheaply as they can, with low quality and potentially dangerousmaterials and ingredients. They really don’t care about the after-effects– they’re just interested in maximising their profits. The majority of counterfeit items come from factories in the Far East,‘staffed’ bychildren who are paid very little, have no labour rights andwork up to 18 hours a day.Counterfeit items also have a very damaging effect on the economyas they are often smuggled into the European Union, to avoid duty and VAT.

3. Fake goods: • tobacco, alcohol and food products • designer clothes, watches, and accessories • medicines, chemicals and pesticides • perfume, cosmetics and bodycare products • CDs, DVDs, computer software, games • power tools and household appliances.

4. Medicinesand pharmaceutical products Originalpills: • the most popular pills produced in Poland come from Polpharma. • they are widely used. You can find allkinds of medicinesyouneed, includingpainkillers and so on. Counterfeitpills: • counterfeitpills often have a different composition than the original. • they can have completely different effects and even undesirable effects – socalledside effects. • can cause liver damage, irreversible healthproblems or even prove to befatal

5. Toys Polish: • more expensive • safer for children • do not contain dangerous materials/parts or substances Chinese: • may contain chemicals dangerous for health • high levels of phthalates • (used in themanufacture of plastics) • products are highly carcinogenic

6. Shoes Polish Chinese • made from better materials • long-lasting • madefrominferior materials • rapidlydestroyed • emit harmfulsubstances

7. Chinese • convenient to use • thereareeasier to clean • oftenuncomfortable • • they may be damagedduringcleaning

8. Polish Chinese • • healthy for man • • moreexpensive, but better • they can be dangerous to humans • cheaper, but oftenpoorlyexecuted

9. Clothing The most popular Polish companies producing garments are Preska , Pretty One, Yulla (for women) and Vistula (for men). The most popular Chinese company is VANCL. Polish: Chinese: • soft materials • resistant to high temperatures • materials irritate the skin • clothes should be washed at low temperatures

10. Polish: Chinese: • cause rashes and allergies • color becomes brighterafter washing • not sensitizing • the color will not fade after washing

11. Chinese: Polish: • the price is higher but the quality is better • the price is lower but the quality is worse

12. Did you know that… Poison in children’s clothing is the latest risk emerging from counterfeiters. A recent investigation found very dangerous substances in woollen and cotton clothes which was 500 times higher than safe levels should be. Thechemical is used to give a permanent press effect to clothes but highlevels (20 parts per million) can cause eye, skin and nasal irritation,respiratory problems, asthma and skin cancer, say the World Health Organisation.

13. Perfume Here the differences between the fake and the original are quite subtle. Fronts and printing on the counterfeit are slightly thicker and less clear.

14. The box of fakes is thicker. On the counterfeit lines are arranged quite differently, there are also errors in spelling or completely different ingredients than on the original one.

15. The first thing you can notice in the counterfeit with the naked eye is a much thicker bottom and generally much more coarse and unevenly cast bottle. Also, the writing on the bottom of the bottle is different.

16. In counterfeit the top of the bottle is made of plastic. The fakes are a little bit higher and the logo is not positioned exactly in the middle. Additionally cork in counterfeit may be unbalanced and crooked.

17. Original perfumes are pink, and the fakes are often more coming in shades of yellow or brown. The smell of the fakes will be hardly noticeable, and disappears after a few minutes while the smell of the originals will still be felt even after several hours.

18. Watches Polish: Chinese: • comfortable • durable • precise • made of goodquality materials • high price • uncomfortable • weak • inaccurate • made of bad quality materials • low price

19. Jewellery Polish: • better quality • more expensive than Asian but more resistant Asian: • worse quality • cheaper than Polish but less resistant

20. Polish: • made of good quality materials Asian: • made of bad quality materials

21. Polish: • won’t destroy for a long time so you don’t have to buy a new product often Asian: • will damage quickly so you have to buy a new product sooner than you expected

22. Tips for spottingfakes: 1. The price. Any item being sold at a low price (50% or less of usual price) is most likelyto be counterfeit. 2.Pay attention to where you are offered cheap goods. Fake goods areoften sold awayfrom the high street where it’s harder to trace theseller. Ifshopping online, check the feedback and reviews the seller has from previousbuyers. 3.Research high-value goods using the manufacturer’s website beforeyou buy. Examine pictures, logos and labels so you’re familiar with howthe originalitemshould be. 4.Examine the quality of goods and steer clear of those showing poorworkmanship.Misspelled labels and poor quality logos are an easilyrecognisabletrait of all kinds of fake goods. 5. Ask questions if you’re suspicious. Sellers of fake goods may be vagueabout the origins of their products or may try and explain differencesin price or appearance by the factthatthe goods are being imported from abroad. 6. Be aware of payment methods. Sellers may ask you to pay by cash oroffer you the chance to avoid paying taxes.

23. Fake or real ones? • Fake products: • lowprice (+) • youcanget an allergy (-) • differencesin packaging (-) • aren’tlong-lasting/durable (-) • dangerous for health (-) • sometimes illegal (-) • containharmfulsubstances (-) • don’t come with any after-sales service or guarantees (-) • don’tundergoany testing (-) • oftenpoorlymade, do not comply with European safety standards (-) Real products: • higherprice (-) • natural materials (+) • safe for health/ tested(+) • long-lasting/durable (+) • betterquality (+) • fashionable (+)

24. And remember … if a deal sounds too good to be true, then it probably is…a fake!!!

25. Prepared by: • Konrad Czech • Katarzyna Gąsior • Dominika Guzik • Wojciech Nowak • Gabriela Pisula • Natalia Stawiarska • Aleksandra Wenc • Students from • Zespół Szkolno-Przedszkolny in Libusza • POLAND