Warning signs

How can you recognise counterfeits or illegal offers?

• 

  Price

  Is there a realistic price difference in comparison to the original product? What seems like a bargain can often turn out to be a fake or pirated product.

• 

  Place of sale

  Genuine products are rarely sold at the beach or at markets. You can find out who is an authorised dealer from the manufacturer of the original product.

• 

  Packaging

  Genuine products usually don’t have damaged packaging or inscriptions with spelling mistakes. Also exercise caution if the guarantees, certificates or instructions have errors or are missing all together.

• 

  Internet

  Counterfeiters and pirates frequently use the internet as a sales channel. If an offer sounds too good to be true, get additional information from the original manufacturer and take a very close look at the website.

• 

  Free content

  If content (such as music, games, films, e-books and pictures) can be legally downloaded or streamed from the internet for free, it’s usually because it’s a promotional campaign. Check carefully for clear information on the identity of the free content provider. If you can't find any information, it's probably an illegal offer.

Tips for consumers – recognising counterfeits

You can find more information about how to recognise counterfeits and pirated copies here.