Trade in counterfeit goods constitutes a substantial threat to various industries.
Against this background, this contribution provides an extensive literature review to
shed light on the economic principles of counterfeit trade and the underlying illicit
supply chains.
Our analysis has shown that – though governments as well as management have
clearly identified the problem – research around the problems of counterfeit trade
constitutes a very young research stream. So far, knowledge on the mechanisms and
structure of the illicit market, the tactics of counterfeit producers, consumer behavior
with respect to imitation products and the financial impact on individual companies is
still rather limited. The diversity of the counterfeit phenomenon underlines the need for
further research in this area; this contribution may serve as a starting point for a future
research agenda. From a practitioner’s perspective, it may be helpful for understanding
the relevant influence factors and for the development of company-specific measures
for fighting product piracy.
the development of medical technology.