Unit 22 The Globalization of Deceit

Before you read

Discuss these questions.

1 What do you think globalization means?

2 Are you in favour of globalization or against it?

3 How is globalization connected with counterfeiting?

Counterfeiting

Keynotes

Counterfeiters ignore patents, which protect intellectual property, copyright and trademarks, by producing cheap copies or fakes of branded goods. These infringements are openly practised daily, affecting many businesses. Digitisation and the internet have made it easier than ever to mass reproduce and distribute quality counterfeit products. The music industry in particular claims to be losing millions because of file sharing systems which allow the downloading of music free of charge.

Preview Counterfeiting Glossary

copycat n the term for someone who copies the work of another person:

The Australian government has announced that it is cracking down on

copycats.

copyright n the legal right that belongs to the person who has created a

new artistic work or piece of software: All of the graphics and editorial

content on this site are protected under US copyright.

currency n the type of money that is used by a particular country or

trading bloc: The euro is the currency of most member states of the

European Union. Collocations: foreign currency, hard currency,

currency dealer, currency exchange rate, currency trading

defraud v to cheat another person by taking something that they own: He

admitted defrauding his employer of more than £2m.

enforce v to make people obey a law or rule: Enforcing a patent can be a

long and expensive process. - enforcement n; enforceable adj

fake n copy or imitation of a genuine article: Experts have identified the

components as fakes. –fake; v synonyms: copy n; copy v.

file-swapping n exchanging files between computers on a network:

Record companies tried to close down the illegal file-swapping website.

infringement n a breach of the law or of another person's rights: The

company is being sued over infringements of copyright technology.

intellectual property n something that a person or business has invented

and which is protected by patent: All international businesses are having

to spend more on protecting their intellectual property.

patent n a special right given to the inventor of a machine or process:

Some governments do not recognize patents on software. - patent v; patented adj Synonyms: copyright n; collocations: patent pending, patent

office

piracy n infringement of copyrights: The association has launched a

campaign to fight software piracy.

profitability n the ability of a business to earn profits: Increased labour

costs have reduced our profitability. profit n; profit v; profitable adj

trademark n a special, registered picture or symbol that is associated

with a particular brand or product: Our trademark is now well-known in

most countries in the region.