Big Business in Counterfeit Goods

By: Fast Company StaffWed Sep 17, 2008 at 1:31 AM

The U.S. government made more than 13,000 seizures of counterfeit goods in 2007, 1,000 less than in 2006. But the value of those products totaled $196 million, a 27% increase from 2006.

Top Products Seized in 2007	What knockoffs cost major industries, annually
Footwear 40%	Software $34 billion
Apparel 14%	Pharmaceuticals $32 billion
Consumer electronics 8%	Autos $12 billion
Handbags, wallets, backpacks 7%	Motion pictures $6.1 billion
Watches and watch parts 7%	Artistic recordings $4.6 billion
Pharmaceuticals 6%
Computers 5%
Media 4%
Sunglasses and parts 2%