Family businesses that produce counterfeits: what is stopping them from creating their own brand?

Abstract

Established brands are prone to attacks by counterfeits, especially in emerging economies where trademark protection laws are loosely enforced. Businesses, usually family owned SMEs, which are engaged in this unscrupulous manufacturing of counterfeits, are capable of creating and developing their own brands. But very few of these firms actually venture out into the legal form of branding. This study tries to understand why firms capable of producing quality products lack the willingness to create their own brands. Through two separate studies conducted in two phases among Bangladeshi producers of counterfeit leather goods and counterfeit car parts the study identifies six factors that contribute to the lack of interest on the counterfeit manufacturers' part to produce original brands.