Photo: Mercedes-Benz
Just like other dubious activities humans have engaged in for eons, counterfeiting is something we'll probably never rid ourselves of. I mean, just think about it: you only need marginal skills and logistics to be able to earn easy money by profiting from those looking for a bargain.
Almost every single product our society has to offer is in danger of being counterfeited. Depending on what object we're talking about, some of these fakes will always be more successful than others.
Common sense would tell you that when it comes to cars some brands, especially those making affordable cars, are more exposed than others. That's because people who buy a low-end, non-pretentious car might be more inclined to look for knock-off, cheaper replacement parts, thus fueling the rise of individuals and organizations involved in making them.
The same reasoning would tell you a Mercedes-Benz owner would be harder to trick into choosing fake over original, first and foremost because a premium or luxury car buyer has a special relationship with the carmaker and its dealers, and they can also afford the price. Well, it turns out Mercedes-Benz owners have the same appetite for fakes as the rest of us.
In one of those rare instances when the German carmaker releases info on how its crime-fighting activities are going, Mercedes revealed a rather sizeable increase in counterfeiting activities involving its products and name, especially in online marketplaces.
The report refers to last year, and shows just how lucrative it is for some people to make and sell fake Mercedes items. And I'm not talking here solely about branded hats and t-shirts, but also about stuff like brake discs, wheels, and body parts for Mercedes cars.
The German company has a dedicated office to fight these kinds of activities. In 2022 teams from the carmaker's Intellectual Property office helped law enforcement conduct a total of 620 raids around the world, which led to the confiscation of 1.6 million fake Mercedes-Benz branded products.
Additionally, over 155,000 online listings on various platforms (Mercedes doesn't specify which platforms) were removed. That may not seem like much in the grand scheme of things, but the number represents a 23 percent over the previous year.
"The quality of counterfeit products is usually poor and does not meet the minimum legal requirements in terms of safety," the company says. "Therefore, counterfeiting is a significant risk to the health and safety of road users."
Although it states it wants to put a stop to such practices it's unlikely Mercedes will actually succeed in eradicating counterfeiting. The best it can hope for is to keep the phenomenon under control, including by releasing details on how effective the company is at fighting crime.
Common sense would tell you that when it comes to cars some brands, especially those making affordable cars, are more exposed than others. That's because people who buy a low-end, non-pretentious car might be more inclined to look for knock-off, cheaper replacement parts, thus fueling the rise of individuals and organizations involved in making them.
The same reasoning would tell you a Mercedes-Benz owner would be harder to trick into choosing fake over original, first and foremost because a premium or luxury car buyer has a special relationship with the carmaker and its dealers, and they can also afford the price. Well, it turns out Mercedes-Benz owners have the same appetite for fakes as the rest of us.
In one of those rare instances when the German carmaker releases info on how its crime-fighting activities are going, Mercedes revealed a rather sizeable increase in counterfeiting activities involving its products and name, especially in online marketplaces.
The report refers to last year, and shows just how lucrative it is for some people to make and sell fake Mercedes items. And I'm not talking here solely about branded hats and t-shirts, but also about stuff like brake discs, wheels, and body parts for Mercedes cars.
The German company has a dedicated office to fight these kinds of activities. In 2022 teams from the carmaker's Intellectual Property office helped law enforcement conduct a total of 620 raids around the world, which led to the confiscation of 1.6 million fake Mercedes-Benz branded products.
Additionally, over 155,000 online listings on various platforms (Mercedes doesn't specify which platforms) were removed. That may not seem like much in the grand scheme of things, but the number represents a 23 percent over the previous year.
"The quality of counterfeit products is usually poor and does not meet the minimum legal requirements in terms of safety," the company says. "Therefore, counterfeiting is a significant risk to the health and safety of road users."
Although it states it wants to put a stop to such practices it's unlikely Mercedes will actually succeed in eradicating counterfeiting. The best it can hope for is to keep the phenomenon under control, including by releasing details on how effective the company is at fighting crime.
Google News