Don’t fall for temptation if you suspect that a handbag, perfume or electronic gadget from a well-known brand is a fake. Counterfeited products are often made in factories that cause environmental pollution, and buying counterfeited products supports criminal activities.

A growing problem

Counterfeited products are a growing problem in Sweden and the rest of the world. A high number of these fake products do not meet the safety requirements, and as a consumer, you have no guarantee of the actual contents of, for example, medicines or cosmetics.

Financially, the counterfeiting industry is disastrous for Swedish businesses. Annual revenue from counterfeited “Swedish” products amounts to SEK 29 billion. Every year, Swedish companies lose SEK 17.1 billion due to counterfeited products, according to a study published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Copyright holder without compensation

Behind every innovation and creation, you will often find years of hard work, time and resources. When something is counterfeited, the copyright holder receives no form of compensation or recognition for his or her work.

There is nothing for sale on our Bad Deal website “En dålig affär”. The website only shows pirate copies that have been confiscated. As a consumer, you have the power to say no. Fakes are always a bad deal.

How to recognise a pirate copy

What are the Swedish authorities doing?

Counterfeited products are a problem that has increased in line with the internationalisation of the purchase and sale of goods and services. The state authorities – the PRV (Swedish Intellectual Property Office), Swedish Customs, the Swedish Police, Swedish Prosecution Authority, Swedish Medical Products Agency, Swedish Consumer Agency – are all working to raise the issues regarding counterfeited products in a joint network.

The issue of counterfeited products can be divided into two main areas: on the one hand, issues involving product safety; and on the other hand, issues involving protection of rights for the person who developed or produces the good or service. The authorities that are part of the network are assigned different tasks and therefore have different approaches to the issue, and this is an important prerequisite for the work required. 

There is nothing for sale on our website “The bad deal store”. We tell and present facts about why counterfeited products is a bad deal, even if the price feels like a bargain. As a consumer, you have the power to say no. Fakes are always a bad deal.

How to recognise a counterfeited product

Behind “The bad deal store” are the PRV, Swedish Customs, Swedish Consumer Agency and EUIPO, the European Intellectual Property Office.