Türkiye is a country known for trading counterfeits. Only China and Hong Kong are ahead of it in the export of counterfeits. Registered trademarks can be found at every stall and this is by no means an off-the-counter product. . The most famous place for selling luxury products at bargain prices is the largest market in Istanbul.
The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the largest and oldest indoor markets in the world. . Here you can find products made by local craftsmen: gold and silver jewelry, carpets, kilims, silk scarves, ceramics, as well as leather jackets, bags and shoes. It is estimated that over 100 million tourists visit this market annually.
Many of them buy fakes of famous sports brands such as Puma, Adidas and Nike, as well as luxury fashion houses Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Versace. : shoes, clothes, watches, jewelry and glasses. The prices of these fakes are much lower than the prices of the originals, which attracts many customers, especially from abroad. Some fakes are so well made that it's hard to tell the difference at first glance, which makes buying them at a low price seem like an attractive bargain.
According to the European Intellectual Property Office, the value of counterfeits from Turkey in 2021 was almost €134 million, making Turkey the main source of fake branded clothing intercepted at EU borders.
Türkiye is not a member of the European Union, therefore . Trade in counterfeit goods takes place completely officially, as there is no intellectual property protection law in Turkey.
However, when boarding the return plane with such purchases, remember that European Union law treats intellectual property issues strictly. Legal protection covers trademarks, copyrights and industrial and utility models.
. Especially if we have purchased a large number of counterfeit items, customs authorities may suspect that they were purchased for resale. In such a situation, they may confiscate your clothes and notify law enforcement authorities. In Poland, selling items with a counterfeit trademark is punishable by a fine, restriction of liberty or imprisonment of up to two years.
, according to a study by Uce Research quoted by Polskie Radio 24. Interestingly, fakes are mainly used by young people and people with high incomes. Among respondents who buy counterfeit products of well-known brands, the most frequently mentioned are clothes (52.6%), shoes (50.7%) and cosmetics (40.5%). The next categories are electronics (26.5%), toys (23.7%), accessories (20.5%) and jewelry (15.8%).
More than half of respondents indicated that they did it to save money. The second most frequently given reason is the desire to have something nice and feel better. The least frequently mentioned were the need to emphasize social position and the desire to impress friends and family.
Social acceptance of buying fakes causes losses not only for producers, but also for the budget, because taxes are paid on the sale of legal products. Budget losses of EU countries due to trade in counterfeit goods reach up to .