C/M/341. Counterfeit luxury brands: are they bad?

The paper looks at the phenomenon of counterfeit brands and tries to understand if counterfeiting is always harmful, both in terms of the bottom line and the brand value, to the original luxury brand. Drawing upon relevant academic research on the subject and personal reflections, the author analyses both pros and cons of counterfeiting. Financial performance of some companies most subject to counterfeiting such as Louis Vuitton and Burberry is also highlighted to support the author’s points.