Counterfeit

To counterfeit means to imitate something. Counterfeit products are fake replicas of the real product. Counterfeit products are often produced with the intent to take advantage of the superior value of the imitated product. The word counterfeit frequently describes both the forgeries of currency and documents, as well as the imitations of works of art, toys, clothing, software, pharmaceuticals, watches, electronics, handbags and shoes. Counterfeit products have a fake company logos and brands. In the case of goods, it results in patent infringement or trademark infringement. Additionally, it is fairly common in big cities for would-be criminals to sell counterfeit illegal drugs, such as a bag of pure baking soda sold as cocaine or heroin, or a bag of oregano sold as marijuana. This takes advantage of the extremely high prices of illicit drugs and the relatively low prices of common materials such as baking soda and oregano, as well as taking advantage of the similarity in appearances that certain house-hold items share with certain illicit drugs. Counterfeit consumer products have a reputation for being low quality.

The counterfeiting of money is usually attacked aggressively by governments. The counterfeiting of goods is condoned by some governments. Counterfeit money is the most popular product counterfeited.