Will even more fakes get to U.K. after Brexit?

[#1]

BBC's Fake Britain points out the many fakes that reach our shores, or are made here. Some are extremely dangerous; even fake stethoscopes have got in to the medical world.

One of the shibboleths of Brexiters is the ridding of EU regulations. I'm wondering, if continental EU members have similar problems, or just us. Are they hotter on application of regulation to their benefit, perhaps?

Of course no one likes "regulation", but will we go too far, and give even more opportunity to dangerous fakery? 

[#2]

EU's law was "It must have a CE mark on it or else it's not getting in!", the CE mark was faked (though you can tell the difference and I'm sure someone'll post the comparison image) and it all got in...

I remember the Kite mark or the BEAB logo, marks that once upon a time meant something when it came to our safety in the UK, after all, the merkins have their Underwriters Laboratory (UL) mark, and the CE mark is for europe, Australia has their own approvals too, so, go back to our own marks, just to piddle off the chinese trying to make fake logos...

[#3]

Ah the CE Mark! Fakers can easily forge those too, and everything else they produce is perfect to the untrained eye!

It's terrifyingly surprising what arrives in our ports, so one could say the CE mark is useless, but a black mark for the EU? I'm not inclined to think that. I hope our neighbours do better than we.

[#4]

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@Luzern wrote:

BBC's Fake Britain points out the many fakes that reach our shores, or are made here. Some are extremely dangerous; even fake stethoscopes have got in to the medical world.

One of the shibboleths of Brexiters is the ridding of EU regulations. I'm wondering, if continental EU members have similar problems, or just us. Are they hotter on application of regulation to their benefit, perhaps?

Of course no one likes "regulation", but will we go too far, and give even more opportunity to dangerous fakery? 

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I Think you are pulling our leg with that one.

EU Regulations ? didn't do much to stop VW fiddling the emissions data did it ?

Ever visited Spain and similar other countries in the past, every second shop was selling fake watches and if you look on some of our market stalls in the poorer areas of this country they have tons of fake gear so regulations or no regulations britexit will not make one bit of difference.

[#5]

Of course many of the fakes are only "fake" because they are not ordered by the original company.

They are just "surplus" churned out in the same Chinese factory.

[#6]

What's the difference between a fake and a copy?

[#7]

Good question and I can't think of an valid answer.

[#8]

I'd say, if something is sold as a copy and it does nearly the same as the original, there is no intention to deceive. Vehicle pattern parts would fall in that category for example. Fakery is passing off as something superior or in high demand with no concern about its fraudulent nature, or that it may be worthless becuse it doesn't work, or is indeed dangerous.

[#9]

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@Minivanman wrote:

What's the difference between a fake and a copy?

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A fake is something pretending to be the real thing (Such as them "beats" headphones, plenty fakes of them around), brand names and all, and a copy is something that's made to look like something else but not be branded as such just to ride the bandwagon of the popularity of the genuine article (such as the Range Rover Evoke and the chinese Land Wind X7)...

[#10]

Answers to mull over and they have got me thinking that perhaps fakes are inferior knock offs of an original whereas a copy can be and often is better than the original and is only an issue because you are stealing the idea rather than the product. With regards to the latter there is of course the argument that there is no such thing as an original idea as all are progressions of the former. Giants shoulders and all that besides which, the Chinese probably did if first anyway!

Cannot think of any examples this time of the morning but there are plenty out there - how about starting with the wheel?   

[#11]

Perhaps fakes/copies are better value than the  real thing ?

I have a couple of watches purchased in Spain over 20 years ago for a fiver and still keeping good time providing the battery is changed when they stop.

I suspect the simple electronics in the cheapest and most expensive watches is the same.

Like most goods you are paying for the name and quality of things on the parts you can see.

Cheap watches for a £5 can be purchased in this country which are not fakes but simply do not have a known brand name on them

[#12]

Indeed, branding is everything which is why the copies copy them.

As for cheap watches I had a Sekonda back in the 60s and at a time when everybody said they were "Russian rubbish". Had for years. 

[#13]

https://community.plus.net/t5/General-Chat/Volkswagen-cheats-emisions-testing/td-p/1274101/page/15

Brexit may improve the quality of regulation, do we want to be hooked up with the cheating Germans!

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