“Everything that makes money is copied,” it says at the beginning of the forty-five-minute documentary "The fake trap – billion dollar business with counterfeit products”. The film by Andreas Baum is dedicated to the trade in counterfeit products, which is estimated at more than 460 billion US dollars (474 billion euros) every year, and its consequences.
The documentary film by the ZDF magazine Wiso, aimed at consumers, sheds light on the complexity of product piracy and counterfeit products. “Children’s toys, car brakes, medical ventilators – there is hardly a product that is not counterfeited,” says a statement from ZDF, a statement that the film confirms.
A discourse of the documentary that is particularly relevant to the fashion industry is the trade in counterfeit, trademarked clothing and accessories and the risks that such a purchase entails for consumers. It is also examined when a product is considered to be a counterfeit in terms of intellectual property law.
shadow economy machinations
As part of the film, people who have been taken in by counterfeit products have their say, entrepreneurs describe the extent of the damage caused by counterfeit products and people who are privy to the machinations of the underground economy behind the fake products unpack.
How uncomplicated the purchase of counterfeit goods can be via the Internet is also made clear by test purchases and leads to the question of how much attention is paid to the topic in politics in this country. The Wiso team also investigates this question and takes those responsible to task.
In order to protect consumers, experts also explain what is actually permitted when buying counterfeit goods and show which features can be used to unmask a fake product before it is bought. The documentary “The Fake Trap – Billions in Counterfeit Products Business” is available on October 11 at 10:25 p.m "MACRO" can be seen on 3sat and is available in the ZDF media library until October 10, 2024.