What Do We Really Think About Counterfeiting?

New MORI research finds two-thirds (64%) of the British population saying that they are against any form of counterfeiting. Six in 10 (59%) of the public say they are aware that counterfeiting can damage the economic well-being of businesses. The same percentage is also aware that some fake goods can put the purchaser at risk of injury or death. And there is a sense — shared by two-thirds of the public — that the government should do more to tackle the problem of counterfeiting.

New MORI research finds two-thirds (64%) of the British population saying that they are against any form of counterfeiting. Six in 10 (59%) of the public say they are aware that counterfeiting can damage the economic well-being of businesses. The same percentage is also aware that some fake goods can put the purchaser at risk of injury or death. And there is a sense -- shared by two-thirds of the public -- that the government should do more to tackle the problem of counterfeiting.

Those, then, are the principles. But what might the public do in practice? There is a substantial group -- around a third -- who say they would knowingly purchase counterfeit goods if the price and quality of the goods was right, while 29% see no harm in product counterfeiting as long as the products do not put the purchaser at risk.

The ACG/MORI survey also highlights differences in attitudes towards counterfeiting between age groups, socio-economic backgrounds and domestic circumstances. There are also some contrasting perspectives by region. This picture of a nation divided in its attitudes towards fakes will be presented in the ACG's full report, Public and Business Attitudes Towards Counterfeiting, in July.

Public and Business Attitudes Towards Counterfeiting -- The ACG's full report will be published by ACG in July 2003. To obtain a copy or for more information on product counterfeiting, contact the ACG Press Office.

For Proving the Connection -- Links between Intellectual Property Theft and Organised Crime, contact Grace Reid on 020-7618 9100. www.aacp.org.uk

Technical details

929 adults (aged 15+) in Great Britain, unless otherwise stated. Fieldwork 5-10 June 2003. Interviews were conducted on MORI's Omnibus among a representative cross section of the public, across 198 sampling points. All figures in percentages are based on the full sample, unless otherwise specified.

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