Intellectual Property Crime: Everyone Pays

Counterfeit products can cost you your life

Something as simple as a great deal on a toy at a flea market or discount store can have serious consequences.

Counterfeiters don’t care about safety standards, product materials or your family’s health and safety. Their only interest is in making money.

 

Dangerous products can harm you and your family

Today, almost any product you can think of is counterfeited

• personal hygiene items
• electrical products
• auto parts
• pharmaceuticals
• power tools
• food
• computer components
• software
• DVDs/CDs
• toys

Your good deal may be helping criminals get richer

Counterfeiting is big business

Increasingly, organized crime, criminal gangs and even terrorist organizations are turning to counterfeiting schemes to make huge profits.

These profits can be used to fund additional criminal activities.

If it's Not Real... No Deal!

Health and safety risks

What you don’t know can hurt you

It is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish counterfeit products from legitimate ones. One reason is that counterfeiters are using technological advances to replicate legitimate products and packaging in order to fool consumers.

By using extra diligence and increasing your consumer awareness, you will help keep your family safe from potentially dangerous counterfeit products.

Luxury brand name knock-off items may not be so innocent

Fake luxury purses, watches and sunglasses, often sold on the street or via the Internet, may seem like innocent purchases.

However, these items have been linked to organized crime groups and purchasing them can have a negative impact on the economy.

• Legitimate retailers are unable to compete
• Bankruptcies increase
• Loss of jobs

Know what to look for:

Package: Examine the packaging and look for spelling errors or shoddy appearance.

Price: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Place: Buy from reputable retailers and use extra diligence when purchasing items through the Internet.

Product: Is the quality and appearance of the product satisfactory?

If you suspect you have purchased a counterfeit product:

Do Not:

• Continue to use the product
• Dispose of it

Do:

• Note when and where you purchased the product
• Store in a safe location
• Contact the legitimate product manufacturer

If a manufacturer deems the product is counterfeit, they will contact police if further investigation is required.

For additional information, visit the following websites:

• Health Canada
• Canadian Anti-Counterfeiting Network (CACN)
• Underwriters’ Laboratories of Canada (ULC)
• Canadian Standards Association (CSA)