For counterfeiters, it is an extremely lucrative business model. However, the reputation damage for the brand name producers as well as the safety risks for consumers are immense. As long as there is demand for copied products, there will be adequate supply. A realistic information and sensitisation of the consumer world is crucial.

On February 10, 2017, the negative award “Plagiarius” was awarded for the 41st time. The German Campaign “Aktion Plagiarius” annually grants this anti-prize at “Ambiente”, the world’s largest consumer goods trade fair (Frankfurt, Germany), during an international press conference. The award was given to those manufacturers and distributors whom the jury has found guilty of making or selling “the most flagrant” imitations. Again, the prize winners show the wide range of industries affected by counterfeits and reveal that product and brand piracy is a global problem.

The goal of “Aktion Plagiarius” is to denounce the counterfeiters’ unscrupulous business practices who pilfer intellectual property and pass it off as their own creative achievement and to raise public awareness of this complex problem that exists among industry, politicians and consumers.

The “Plagiarius” award remains silent about whether a plagiarism is legal or otherwise. Aktion Plagiarius does not, nor wants, to pass judgement. However, the registered society can call attention to the problems that affected businesses must face and express the opinion that clumsy 1:1 imitations are unimaginative and morally objectionable and lead to stagnation. In this context, Aktion Plagiarius emphasises that legal competing products which follow a trend (but differ sufficiently in design and technology from the original product) in fact stimulate fair competition, and therefore are required.

The prize winners – originals and their plagiarisms in direct comparison – can be downloaded here

Aktion Plagiarius also offers;

– individual Plagiarius-exhibitions “Original vs. Counterfeit” and
– lectures/presentations on the problem of product- and brand piracy – informative, practical and concise!

For more information click here