Fake or counterfeit goods

Counterfeit and fake products can be found in many forms such as clothing, DVDs, perfume, hair straighteners, jewellery, computer software and games to name just the obvious. But car and airplane parts, tyres, tools, electrical goods, batteries, shampoo, cigarettes and children's toys are also copied.

These products may seem like a bargain but in many cases you would be risking wasting your cash on poor quality copies which can also be dangerous.

Buying pirated and fake goods also supports serious crime such as drug dealing, human trafficking and prostitution. It can also provide an additional, undeclared income to benefit cheats and puts genuine local traders out of business.

The law

Legal protection is provided by two main pieces of legislation, the Trade Marks Act and the Copyright Designs and Patents Act and these gives owners of trade marks and holders of copyright and design rights and the ability to take legal action against people who copy their products without their authority.

Latest news

Trading standards in illegal tobacco record haul - 20 December 2011.  More than 500,000 items of illegal tobacco have been seized by Coventry Trading Standards Officers since April 2011.

National Consumer Week - Good Sports Don't Fake it! 21 November. Don't be duped into buying counterfeit sports clothes and equipment from bogus websites during the run up to Christmas and the 2012 Olympics. Be alert to any offers too good to be true and if you spot or believe a trader in Coventry is supplying any fake goods, please report it using our online reporting form or use the Fakes Hotline: 0845 894 1008.

Counterfeit Clothing - November 2011

Items of fake sports ware, clothing and watches have been seized from a local Coventry shop after Trading Standards received a tip off from a member of the public. With Christmas and the Olympics soon to be upon us we are asking people to be alert and don't be duped into buying counterfeit goods. If the offer sounds too good to be true, it usually will be.

Counterfeit Alcohol - Oct 2011. Use trusted sources when buying alcohol after intelligence led Trading Standards to find counterfeit Jacobs Creek stock being sold within Coventry . Details are limited due to an ongoing investigation however trading standards are aware that in the run up to Christmas, cheaper alternatives may be too much of a temptation for some traders.

Launched in May 2011: http://www.brand-i.org/ allows consumers to identify if a website is the official online store for that brand or how to report it if it is not. It also gives tips and hints to shopping safely online.

'Copycat' websites selling fake products. Watch out for Bogus sites passing themselves off as the real thing. See some of the fake goods that have been seized.