What is a knock-off? – Fashion and clothing magazine

In the last decade, with the advancement of technology and communication, the performance of the global market, the purchasing process of consumers and the consumption of goods have been greatly affected. One of the negative but important aspects of these developments is the significant increase in the number of knock-off goods. Knock-off products can directly or indirectly affect our health; Because these goods have harmful, fake, low quality or even health and environmental risks.

Definition of knock TheOff

In the fashion and beauty industry, knock-off refers to products that imitate or copy the design of famous goods, if they are not allowed to copy the name or logo of those goods. These products, which are not licensed and violate intellectual property rights to some extent, use a product design or pattern that legally belongs to a well-known brand without permission. Knockoffs are usually legally identifiable, and if they confuse the consumer and make them unrecognizable from the original, they are recognized as criminals and fall under the category of illegal trademark violations.

Knockoff clothes They are a very accurate copy of top and luxury designer clothes that are sold for less than the original price; With the difference that the logos of reputable brands are not found on these clothes. The purpose of knock-off fashion, which includes brands such as H&M, ZARA and MANGO, is to provide the reproduced products of luxury brands at a lower price and faster to the weaker communities.

The difference between fake product and knock TheOff

Fake and knock-off are two different terms in the industry, which are explained below:

fake

Fake refers to products that are completely imitations of a famous brand. These products are illegal imitations of well-known brands and encourage consumers to buy non-original products at a low price. In fact, fakes are copycat products that rarely meet the same quality, design, and standards as the original brand. The intention of fakes is often to exploit the reputation and popularity of the original brand in order to profit from this reputation. Fake products include bags, watches, glasses, and clothes that imitate famous brands such as Nike, Louis Vuitton, etc. and are marketed at a lower price.

Knock off

Knock-offs refer to products that only imitate the design of a well-known product, but cannot imitate the name or trademark of that product. Basically, knockoffs attempt to closely copy the appearance of a well-known product, but refrain from using its original name and trademark; Because they can be identified legally and if intellectual property rights are not respected and the consumer is confused to recognize the original product, they may fall into the category of legal violations of trademarks. Examples of knockoffs include clothing, accessories, shoes, and cosmetics that closely resemble famous goods in design, but do not copy the original brand name onto the products.

In general, the main difference between a fake and a knockoff is the use or not of the original brand name and logo. Fakes imitate both the design of the brand and its name and logo; If the knock-offs only imitate the external design of the product and avoid putting the name and logo of the original brand on the products. Both of these concepts generally describe products that are in some way a copy of well-known brands or goods.

The history of KnockTheOff in the fashion industry

Knockoffs have been around for a long time in the fashion and beauty industry. In the past, since the 1960s, unauthorized sellers have imitated famous products and distributed them legally. With the development of technology and communication, this process was greatly facilitated, and today knockoffs are produced more quickly and widely and distributed around the world.

Knock's legal statusTheOffTheI see how is it

Most countries have banned the sale of counterfeit goods; While wearing fake clothes is not illegal. If a brand can prove that a product is so similar to its own product that the consumer cannot tell the difference between the two, it can take legal action against the company producing the knockoffs. Nowadays, it is very challenging to distinguish a fake product from an original one; Although the knock-off goods are of lower quality, they try their best to be as similar as possible to the original product with minor changes. Applying minor changes is because the knockoff doesn't have to be an exact copy to be distinguishable from the original.

Types of nutsThe Off

There is no exact definition for this title, but knockoffs can be divided into two general categories:

1. Copy products (illegal knockoffs; goods manufactured and distributed by pirates):

These products are undoubtedly illegal. It is illegal to produce replica clothing, accessories and shoes with the aim of deceiving the consumer and abusing the reputation of other brands. Louis Vuitton handbags are a prime example of this. The replicas of these bags are not made in real quality, but they are made to look as close as possible to the originals.

2. Copycat designers (probably illegal knockoffs, but not always illegal):

Many designers are inspired by the products they see in shops and public spaces. In addition to the fact that some designers deliberately copy the products of famous brands, there are designers who may unintentionally inspire ideas from others without any malicious intent.

RootThe knockTheWhere does off come from?

Sometimes, we see a piece of clothing that may penetrate the roots of our thoughts and influence our future clothing choices. This happens to designers as well, and they may use parts of another designer's concept, cut, or even fabric to create a more unique masterpiece; Then strengthen that idea and make more changes in it. In the clothing industry, there is a significant amount of copying. Some of these plagiarisms are done fairly, while others can mislead the consumer.

In terms of fashion, knock-offs are a complex phenomenon. While it clearly takes a toll on original designers, it is vital to the expansion and maintenance of the industry cycle. Knockoff fashion can influence trends and ultimately increase sales for the industry as a whole. So, in some cases, the term “getting inspiration” can be mentioned instead of copying and imitating in the knock-off phenomenon.

Negative effectsTheOff fashion in the industry

This phenomenon in the industry has many effects, both negative and positive, and we will mention some negative effects of this phenomenon below:

Decrease in brand income:

Knockoffs can hurt brands because consumers may buy the knockoff instead of the original, reducing the brand's revenue.

Weakening the credibility of brands:

The existence of knock-offs may lead to weakening the credibility and power of brands in the market. In the long run, this case can lead to the loss of the brand and the loss of the market to competitors.

Damage to the creativity and innovation industry:

Knockoffs discourage creativity and innovation in the fashion and beauty industry. Brands are less willing to invest in research and development of new products, because profitability as a result of innovation and creativity is reduced in the case of imitation and copying.

Solutions to deal with knocks Theoff fashion

Strengthen the laws of intellectual property rights

Governments and relevant organizations should improve intellectual property rights laws and provide more efficient enforcement to protect the rights of brands and designers.

Consumer awarenessThedoers

Educating and increasing the awareness of consumers about the risks and problems associated with knock-offs can lead to a decrease in the demand and purchase of these products.

Development of local markets

Promotion and development of local markets and main products of countries can help reduce the need for knock-offs and increase the value of domestic brands.

Collaboration between brands and artisans

Brands and manufacturers can help fight knockoffs by working together to protect intellectual property rights and establish industry standards.

Using new technology and solutions

The use of new technologies such as fast tracking and artificial intelligence can help identify and prevent illegal imitations.

MethodThe Authentic product recognition

Determining the authenticity of a product can be difficult and challenging, as some fakes and high-quality copies may appear to be the original product itself. However, here are some common methods to identify the original product:

Buy from reliable sources

Preferably buy the product from official and reliable sources. For example, buy directly from official brand stores, reputable websites or online stores that have the reputation and trust of consumers.

Study and check the packaging

Take a close look at the product packaging. Check if the packaging has signs of authenticity, such as logos, security labels, barcodes, and serial numbers. Also, pay attention to the quality of printing and details on the packaging. In some of the main products, high quality packaging and detailed details are used.

Checking the quality of construction

Main products are generally made using high quality materials and have high quality of construction. Check that the product has complete details and completeness and does not have any defects. Also, pay attention to the weight, strength and feeling of heaviness or lightness of the product.

Checking referrals to specialists

If you are not sure whether it is an original product or not, you can refer to the relevant experts. Some brands and companies offer services where you can get a certificate of authenticity by sending them a photo or product information.

Comparison with original products

If you have already used an original product, you can compare it with the product you are planning to buy.

Finally, it should be noted that no matter how hard you try, there is always the possibility of error. Some copies are very professional and you may need high expertise and a lot of experience to identify them definitively.

Knockoffs in the fashion and beauty industry are a serious challenge that brands and artisans must face. These products not only hurt brands, but also hurt the creativity and innovation industry. Nowadays, the concept of “fast fashion” that makes buyers find similar clothes in stores like Zara faster than authentic versions of catwalk clothes, has caused an increase in knock-off fashion. Over time, knockoffs have grown in popularity as affordable fashion, and more and more people are using fake clothing; But in the end, the knockoff is like an annoying person who takes pathological pleasure in imitating, simulating and copying the actions of another person. People who copy will undoubtedly annoy the people who came up with the original idea. What other negative effects do you think knock-off fashion has on the industry?