Features
- Cover Type: Paperback with 246 pages
- Published by: Kogan Page May 1, 2007
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 0749449411
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-0749449414
-
Book Dimensions:
8.7 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
- Weighs: 14.9 ounces
getAbstract.com
"Phillips certainly has done his legwork. getAbstract finds this informative treatment of a pervasive global problem both enlightening and disturbing."
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Review
"Whether your involvement in security includes investigations or protection of IP, you will find gems of information in this book." -- Terry Cochran "Security Management"
Reader Reviews
This review is from: Knockoff: The Deadly Trade in Counterfeit Goods (Hardcover)
"Knockoff" by Tim Phillips offers a good introduction to the problem of counterfeit goods. This eye-opening book seeks to inform the reader without being unduly alarmist or sensationalist. Mr. Phillips makes it clear that the knockoff economy is not a matter to be taken lightly, given the untoward and far-reaching effects this trade might have on ourselves and others. Mr. Phillips brings an international perspective to the subject. The author is a talented business journalist who resides in the U.K. and describes the trade in counterfeit goods as a global phenomenon. I found his writing to be intelligent and engaging, with touches of trademark English humor worked in to good effect, making the book a fast but informative read. The book's twenty chapters breeze through some of the many facets of the knockoff economy around the world. Mr. Phillips takes us from home sales parties scattered across the suburban U.S. to urban marketplaces in New York, Beijing, Islamabad and elsewhere where billions of dollars worth of counterfeit goods change hands. The author tells us that the dynamics of the trade are driven by wealth disparities between nations (and class disparities within nations) and the huge financial rewards to be made by those who are willing to break the law. A few of the many topics covered include: the underground trade and its connection to criminal and terrorist groups; how governments have been weakened and even controlled by gangsters who are supported by illegal trade; how fake automotive and aircraft components threaten the safety of passengers; and how the sale of unlicensed software not only eats into Microsoft's profits but has probably stymied a competitive software industry from developing in Russia. However, the book is weakened somewhat by a lack of substantive analysis of the problems that Mr. Phillips has so aptly and vividly described. One senses that the author's immersion in the business media has constricted his vision to a point where he does not wish to challenge the selfish interests of profit-seeking companies. For example, Mr. Phillips explains that pharmaceutical companies maintain monopolistic control of the world marketplace in order to extract the maximum revenues possible from consumers in wealthy countries, which means that residents of poor countries who cannot afford to pay full price are often preyed upon by counterfeiters. Does the author not recognize that the public good of legally procuring life-saving medicines at a reasonable cost remains elusive primarily due to the corrupting political power of the pharmaceutical industry? Unfortunately, he does not attempt to relate the issues of corporate and government power on the one hand, with inequality and crime on the other hand. Still, I recommend this book (as well as "Illicit" by Moises Naim) to everyone seeking an overview on the topic of counterfeit goods.
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