Some part of the Latvian residents does not care whether a product purchased online is original or counterfeited, while administrators of social media advertising platforms allow counterfeits to spread widely. The Patent Office has revealed it by conducting a social experiment in preparation for the annual anti-counterfeiting and public awareness campaign "Be original - choose the original!"
The opening event of the campaign "Be original - choose the original!" was held on Friday, 19 May, at the Riga Art and Media Technical School, where the students had the possibility to show their knowledge of the risks caused by counterfeit goods and of the action to be taken when suspecting a fake.
In his opening address, Agris Batalauskis, Director of the Patent Office, stated: "The experiment conducted on social media and advertising platforms confirmed both our observations and the results of the study conducted in 2022 on the attitude of young people towards original goods. About 20% of young people living in Latvia admitted that they do not care whether the purchased product is genuine or not, while around 50% admitted that they deliberately bought fakes in the last year. This means that we need to continue to work with the young audience, as well as with entrepreneurs and the whole society in general, to convince them to choose high-quality goods instead of the products of unknown origin."
The purpose of the experiment was to find out if people buy clearly counterfeit goods online. It was carried out from 10 to 17 May, placing 38 advertisements on such websites as facebook.com, ss.com, and andelemandele.lv. Customers were offered a variety of goods, including car parts, perfumes, handbags and accessories, food supplements, and electronics. The interest in those goods was significantly higher on the advertising portals with 302 responses received, as compared to 35 responses on the social media platforms. The greatest interest was in counterfeit perfumes, followed by handbags and accessories. Having analysed the goods offered in the advertisements, the Patent Office concluded that the citizens are ready to buy fakes at the price exceeding 100 euros, as well as there is an interest in second-hand counterfeit goods, mostly clothes and accessories.
The interactive survey held at the opening event also revealed the attitudes of the Riga Art and Media technical school students towards counterfeits, their knowledge of the steps to take if they come across counterfeit goods. They could also hear the explanations of the experts in this field.
"To reduce the spread of counterfeit goods, customs authorities control shipments and cargoes imported from third countries. Buying counterfeits on the Internet, customers can lose their ordered items or money, because such consignments get suspended by customs authorities,” Sandra Kārkliņa-Ādmine, Deputy Director of the Customs Board of the State Revenue Service, explained to the participants of the event. “We do not know where the money generated from the sale of counterfeit goods goes; it may be used to finance other criminal activities. To reduce the many negative effects of counterfeiting, I sincerely hope that the call "Be original - choose the original!" will be heard."
"As the saying goes, if it looks too good, it is not good. It can also be applied to counterfeit goods and online stores that distribute them. You should investigate the seller before purchasing any product in order to make a responsible choice," Baiba Vītoliņa, Director of the Consumer Rights Protection Center, advised the participants. She drew the attention of young people to the safety risks when buying fake goods that are often harmful to health, especially various medicines, and food supplements. However, toys, clothes, hygiene products and perfumes can also cause harm to health.
"Shopping in online stores also affects the protection of personal data, and due to ignorance or other reasons, the buyer's data can often end up in the hands of unwanted persons. Therefore, when shopping on the Internet, one must also be responsible for the availability of one's data to third parties, " Jekaterina Macuka, Director of the Data State Inspectorate, reminded the participants. "When you buy a non-original product, you belittle other people's ideas. Would you like someone to take your data and photos to use for their own interests, and not always with good intentions? Think about the data to protect your family," Ms Macuka appealed to the audience.
During the event, the participants had the opportunity to look at some counterfeits - perfumery, accessories, and shoes - confiscated by the SRS Customs Board.
The Patent Office has been organizing a public information and education campaign since 2017. Its purpose is to draw attention to the negative impact of counterfeits on health, life, economy, and the environment, and to encourage people to choose original goods.
The campaign is organized in cooperation with the Customs Board of the State Revenue Service, the Consumer Rights Protection Center, and the State Police. It is financially supported by the European Union Intellectual Property Office.
More information on how to recognise a fake and what to do if you have bought it is available on the website www.viltotarealitate.lv.
The photo gallery of the event can be found HERE.