The term ‘pirate copying’ is also used to describe unlawful distribution (of films, music, programs and games, for example) via illegal file sharing sites, such as Pirate Bay. Another form of pirate copying is the copying of protected products which are then sold under the trademark. The most common cases involve the pirate copying of furniture, clothing, watches, liquids, sunglasses and other accessories from established trademarks, but pirate-copied products occur within all sectors and pirate-copied medicines, cars, food, products and toys are not uncommon. 

To an individual consumer, pirate-copied products can seem like an attractive and economical alternative to more expensive genuine branded goods. What sellers rarely consider is the fact that the people who make money on pirate-copied products rarely take responsibility for the quality of the products themselves. They also incur no costs in developing new solutions and ride on the back of the success that someone else has created. Anyone who buys a pirate-copied product can therefore expect it to have been made from inferior, sometimes even harmful, materials, and not to have been subjected to safety tests. Purchasing pirate-copied medicines can be lethal. When consumers decide to purchase pirate-copied products, another consequence is that the existence of professional companies is threatened.

Test your business

In the test, we will help you identify your intangible assets:

Test your business