…Recent stats released by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirm that counterfeiting is on the rise. In 2010, the agencies made 19,959 seizures of counterfeit goods, a 34% increase over 2009 numbers. The total domestic value of fake goods seized last year totaled $188.1 million, the estimated manufacturers’ suggested retail price. Had those seized products been the real thing, ICE estimates they would have sold for a total of $1.4 billion, which reveals just how much companies are losing to counterfeiters and how much American consumers want a luxury product at a bargain price.
