Fighting counterfeiting, suggested strategies to protect Apparel Designs and products

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the design counterfeiting practices in Egypt, analyse the process and suggest some applicable design and marketing strategies to eliminate counterfeiting. This way the original designer's intellectual properties and investments are protected by reducing piracy. In order to develop this paper, an initial market analysis was made to form the main aspects discussed through semi structured interviews. These interviews were held with 38 Egyptian manufacturers and retailers working in the Egyptian market in individual sessions made face to face. The interviews results in combination with the literature were analysed to develop a better understanding of the counterfeiting process and practices. Some strategies were developed which are supposed to help protecting designer's intellectual properties and eliminate fashion counterfeiting. On the one hand, awareness of intellectual property and copyright is progressing in Egypt; however, current legislated laws are not enough; modifications to current laws are required. On the other hand, some strategies were developed to help reduce apparel design counterfeiting. These strategies include establishing a design organization to protect designers and increase customer awareness of the piracy influences. Other strategies were meant to lengthen the counterfeiting process or maximize its benefits where possible. This paper suggests -from a designer's point of view-some applicable strategies to help designers and apparel marketers deal with piracy to reduce design counterfeiting and its various negative effects. This research is limited to the Egyptian apparel market and retailers. Researchers are encouraged to study other sectors of the Egyptian and international fashion market.