The Economics of Counterfeit Trade: Governments, Consumers, Pirates and Intellectual Property Rights

Walk down any main street in Shanghai, Paris or New York and you will see evidence of the counterfeit goods trade. Everyone has seen or heard of fake Prada bags or Omega watches. But how large is the counterfeit market? It appears that the same numbers have been quoted repeatedly in sources ranging from serious academic journals to the BBC to the Sydney Morning Herald. This is the first book to fully examine the size of the counterfeit market.

Many authors have proposed actions to combat counterfeiting. Chaudhry and Zimmerman are the first to take a global look at the intellectual property environment using a research-based approach. This book also gives international business managers practical, tested tools they can use to combat piracy. These recommendations are based on the successful experience of managers wrestling with these problems every day. The book is based on solid research but written in an accessible style.