Deception is everywhere

Column Imitation is essential for survival in nature, but is counterfeiting a successful economic model?
At least that's how Peter von Matt sees it in
his "Theory and Practice of Deceit": "Creation lies. Where
is deception." And this has always been the case: "Millions of years ago
the first humans, the Blue Planet already had the
practiced falsehood in all conceivable variations." The
Deception is not only normal even in innocent nature - it is
is the key to success. Imitation ensures survival. Flowers
mimic insects: The fly agaric does this so convincingly for
real flies that they want to copulate and feed on the tiny
work off the phantom. In doing so, they bump their heads against the pollen packets
of the flower, pollen sticks to the head, and the excited little animals
fertilize the next hopeless attempt to fertilize the next
Ophrys insectifera. Evolution thus rewards the simulant.

Should this also be the case in today's economic life?
Experts estimate that around ten percent of global trade in
counterfeits are processed. Brand pirates are increasingly dominating the
shelves. They are not only at home in China. And they counterfeit
not only luxury brands. The most counterfeited consumer product, it is believed
is the razor blade.

And counterfeiting is not only occurring far away. The domestic
Man is closely affected, because not every Viagra package
at the pharmacy around the corner contains what it promises. It is also
in these parts, it is quite probable that behind the
confidence-inspiring logo of your favorite companion.
inferior spare part hides a potential safety risk.
One or two airplane crashes are attributed by experts with
brand counterfeiting in the spare parts sector.

So it's not about chalking up the vacation fun that the acquisition
of an Asian Rolex for the price of a plastic watch strap still
may bring. However, this fun also comes at a cost, if you have some
workplaces with the manufacturer of the original as well as
tax revenue for the relevant community. And it's all about
much further: counterfeit brands harbor security risks in the
Spare parts, health risks in the pharmaceutical sector. Not only
Smoking kills - in the truest sense of the word, so do fake
Pharmaceuticals. The fact that counterfeit brand-name products are
destroy the development of brands by their owners as well as
million times the trust placed in brands by consumers
can be avoided in view of the central importance of brands in
our economies and societies cannot simply grudgingly accept
or be accepted with a shrug of the shoulders. It is about
Economic crime worth an estimated 350 billion US dollars
annually.

There still seems to be no cure for brand piracy. Wherever the
When the hare (the real one) appears, the hedgehog (the counterfeiter) is already there.
A lack of technical counterfeit protection limits success in the
fight against brand counterfeiters as well as the lack of broad-based
social anchoring of the topic. The fight against the wrong
must include all of us (as producers or consumers).
Together we should look for and celebrate the original. Or is that
The fate of the "excited little animals" in their recurring
"hopeless attempts" worth imitating in the long run?

Jürgen Häusler is CEO of the Interbrand Zintzmeyer and Lux Group and an honorary professor at the University of Leipzig.