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Counterfeit products at a flea market.

To counterfeit means to illegally imitate something. Counterfeit products are often produced with the intent to take advantage of the superior value of the imitated product. The word counterfeit frequently describes both the forgeries of currency and documents, as well as the imitations of works of art, toys, clothing, software^{[citation needed]}, pharmaceuticals, watches, electronics and company logos and brands. In the case of goods, it results in patent infringement or trademark infringement. Additionally, it is fairly common in big cities for would-be criminals to sell counterfeit illegal drugs, such as a bag of pure baking soda sold as cocaine or heroin, or a bag of oregano sold as marijuana. This takes advantage of the extremely high prices of illicit drugs and the relatively low prices of common materials such as baking soda and oregano, as well as taking advantage of the similarity in appearances that certain house-hold items share with certain illicit drugs. Counterfeit consumer products have a reputation for being low quality.

The counterfeiting of money is usually attacked aggressively by governments. The counterfeiting of goods is countenanced^{[clarification needed]} by some governments.

Counterfeiting of money or government bonds[link]

This section requires expansion.

Counterfeit money is currency that is produced without the legal sanction of the state or government and in deliberate violation of the laws thereof; the United States Secret Service, better known as the official bodyguard detail for the President and/or the Vice President of the United States, their families, and/or other officials/dignitaries and/or their families, was initially organized primarily to combat the counterfeiting of American money; counterfeit government bonds are public debt instruments that are produced without legal sanction, with the intention of "cashing them in" for authentic currency or using them as collateral to secure legitimate loans or lines of credit.

Counterfeiting of documents[link]

Forgery is the process of making or adapting documents with the intention to deceive. It is a form of fraud, and is often a key technique in the execution of identity theft. Uttering and publishing is a term in United States law for the forgery of non-official documents, such as a trucking company's time and weight logs.

Questioned document examination is a scientific process for investigating many aspects of various documents, and is often used to examine the provenance and verity of a suspected forgery. Security printing is a printing industry specialty, focused on creating legal documents which are difficult to forge.

Counterfeiting of consumer goods[link]

A Sharpie marker, next to a "Shoupie" marker.

Counterfeit LG brand and products, such as television, monitor, air conditioner, etc.

The spread of counterfeit goods (commonly called "knockoffs") has become global in recent years and the range of goods subject to infringement has increased significantly. Apparel and accessories accounted for over 50 percent of the counterfeit goods seized by U.S Customs and Border Control. According to the study of Counterfeiting Intelligence Bureau (CIB) of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), counterfeit goods make up 5 to 7% of World Trade, however these figures cannot be substantiated due to the secretive nature of the industry.^[1] A report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development indicates that up to US$200 Billion of international trade could have been in counterfeit and illegally-copied goods in 2005.^[2] In November 2009, the OECD updated these estimates, concluding that the share of counterfeit and pirated goods in world trade had increased from 1.85% in 2000 to 1.95% in 2007. That represents an increase to US$250 billion worldwide.^[3]

In a detailed breakdown of the counterfeit goods industry, the total loss faced by countries around the world is $600 Billion, with the United States facing the most economic impact.^[4] When calculating counterfeit products, current estimates place the global losses at $400 Billion.^[5] On November 29, 2010, the Department of Homeland Security seized and shut down 82 websites as part of a U.S. crackdown of websites that sell counterfeit goods, and was timed to coincide with "Cyber Monday," the start of the holiday online shopping season.^[6]

Some see the rise in counterfeiting of goods as being related to globalization. As more and more companies, in an effort to increase profits, move manufacturing to the cheaper labour markets of the third world, areas with weaker labour laws or environmental regulations, they give the means of production to foreign workers. These new managers of production have little or no loyalty to the original corporation. They see that profits are being made by the global brand for doing little (other than advertising) and see the possibilities of removing the middle men (i.e. the parent corporation) and marketing directly to the consumer.

Certain consumer goods, especially very expensive or desirable brands or those that are easy to reproduce cheaply, have become frequent and common targets of counterfeiting. The counterfeiters either attempt to deceive the consumer into thinking they are purchasing a legitimate item, or convince the consumer that they could deceive others with the imitation. An item which makes no attempt to deceive, such as a copy of a DVD with missing or different cover art, is often called a "bootleg" or a "pirated copy" instead.

Most counterfeit goods are produced in China, making it the counterfeit capital of the world. In fact, the counterfeiting industry accounts for 8% of China's GDP.^[7][8] Joining China are North Korea and Taiwan. Some counterfeits are produced in the same factory that produces the original, authentic product, using inferior materials. Another strange new trend in counterfeiting, especially seen in consumer electronics, is the manufacture of entirely novel products using poor quality materials or, more often, incorporating desirable features not present in a brand's authentic product line and then including prominent and fake brand names and logotypes to profit from brand recognition or brand image. An example would be imitation "Nokia" cellular phones with features like Dual-SIM slots or TV, which are unavailable in authentic originals. Another example would be imitation "iPod" MP3 players whose power cells or batteries are removable and replaceable, whereas in authentic originals the power cells or batteries are permanently installed.

In the United States, a federal crackdown on counterfeit imports is driving an increase in domestic output of fake merchandise, according to investigators and industry executives. Raids carried out in New York City resulted in the seizure of an estimated $200 Million in counterfeit apparel, bearing the logos of brands such as "The North Face," "Polo," "Izod Lacoste," "Rocawear," "Seven for all Mankind," and "Fubu." One of the largest seizures was a joint operation in Arizona, Texas and California that seized seventy-seven containers of fake "Nike Air Jordan" shoes and a container of "Abercrombie & Fitch" clothing, valued at $69.5 Million. Another current method of attacking counterfeits is at the retail level. Fendi sued the "Sam's Club" division of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. for selling fake "Fendi" bags and leather goods in five states. Sam's Club agreed to pay Fendi a confidential amount to settle the dispute and dismiss the action. In the case Tiffany v. eBay, Tiffany & Co. sued auction site EBay for allowing the sale of counterfeit items. Gucci filed suit against thirty websites in the United States and is currently^[when?] in the process of suing one hundred more.^{[citation needed]}

A number of companies involved in the development of anti-counterfeiting and brand protection solutions have come together to form special industry-wide and global organisations dedicated to combating the so-called "brand pirates". These are the International Authentication Association [1] and the International Hologram Manufacturers Association [2]. Other companies and organizations have established web-based communities that provide a framework for crowd-sourced solutions to counterfeiting. One such free community, Collectors Proof [3] enables manufacturers and users alike to associate unique identification numbers to virtually any item so that each new owner can update its chain of custody. Because quality counterfeit items are often difficult to discern from authentic goods, this approach enables potential customers to access an item's current and previous owners - its provenance - prior to purchase.

To try to avoid this, companies may have the various parts of an item manufactured in independent factories and then limit the supply of certain distinguishing parts to the factory that performs the final assembly to the exact number required for the number of items to be assembled (or as near to that number as is practicable) and/or may require the factory to account for every part used and to return any unused, faulty or damaged parts. To help distinguish the originals from the counterfeits, the copyright holder may also employ the use of serial numbers and/or holograms etc., which may be attached to the product in another factory still.

See also[link]

References[link]

This remainder of this section includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (August 2011)

• World Cup Fakes War Could Be Won On Penalties [4]
• Detecting the Truth: Fakes, Forgeries and Trickery, a virtual museum exhibition at Library and Archives Canada

⁴The Dynamics of Fashion Third Edition; Fairchild Books, Inc. New York; Elaine Stone, professor emerita; fashion Institute of technology, New York

External links[link]

• Counterfeit Goods Data and Statistics Havocscope Black Markets

Anti-counterfeiting[link]

• International Hologram Manufacturers Association
• International Authentication Association

This article relies on references to primary sources or sources affiliated with the subject, rather than references from independent authors and third-party publications. Please add citations from reliable sources. (November 2010)

David Ray Wilkerson (May 19, 1931 – April 27, 2011^[1]) was an American Christian evangelist, best known for his book The Cross and the Switchblade. He was the founder of the addiction recovery program Teen Challenge, and founding pastor of the non-denominational Times Square Church in New York.

Wilkerson's widely distributed sermons, such as "A Call to Anguish," are known for being direct and frank. He emphasized such Christian beliefs as God's holiness and righteousness, God's love toward humans and especially Christian views of Jesus. Wilkerson tried to avoid categorizing Christians into distinct groups according to the denomination to which they belong.^{[citation needed]}

Wilkerson was killed in a car crash in Texas on April 27, 2011.^[1]

Ministry[link]

Wilkerson served as a pastor in small churches in Scottdale and Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, until he saw a photograph in Life Magazine in 1958 of seven New York City teenagers charged with murder.^[2] He later wrote that as he felt the Holy Spirit move him with compassion, he was drawn to go to New York in February 1958. It was then that he began a street ministry to young drug addicts and gang members, which he continued into the 1960s.^[2] Later in 1958, he founded Teen Challenge,^[3] an evangelical Christian addiction recovery program affiliated with the Assemblies of God, with a network of Christian social and evangelizing work centers.^[4]

Wilkerson gained national recognition after he co-authored the book The Cross and the Switchblade in 1963 with John and Elizabeth Sherrill about his street ministry. The book became a best-seller, with over 50 million copies in over thirty languages, and is included in Christianity Today's "Top 50 Books That Have Shaped Evangelicals".^[5] In the book, Wilkerson tells of the conversion of gang member Nicky Cruz, who later became an evangelist himself and wrote the autobiographical Run Baby Run. In 1970, The Cross and the Switchblade was turned into a Hollywood movie starring Pat Boone as Wilkerson and Erik Estrada as Cruz.

In 1967, Wilkerson began Youth Crusades, an evangelistic ministry aimed at teenagers whom Wilkerson called "goodniks"—middle-class youth who were restless and bored. His goal was to prevent them from becoming heavily involved with drugs, alcohol, or violence. Through this ministry, the CURE Corps (Collegiate Urban Renewal Effort) was founded. It was intended to be something of a Christian version of the Peace Corps and Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA).^{[citation needed]}

In 1971, Wilkerson moved his ministry headquarters to Lindale, Texas, where he founded World Challenge, an organization whose mission is to promote and spread the Gospel throughout the world.^{[citation needed]}

Wilkerson believed that in 1986, while walking down 42nd Street in New York City at midnight, the Holy Spirit called him to return to New York City and to raise up a ministry in Times Square. He founded and became the pastor of Times Square Church,^[1] which opened its doors in October 1987. The church first occupied rented auditoriums in Times Square (Town Hall and the Nederlander Theater), later moving to the historic Mark Hellinger Theatre, which the ministry purchased in 1989 and in which it has operated ever since.^{[citation needed]}

From the 1990s, Wilkerson focused his efforts to encourage pastors and their families throughout the world to "renew their passion for Christ". In his own words:

"I've been an evangelist for 50 years, but I didn't want to preach to pastors until I had gray hair, until I'd pastored. Now after 15 years of pastoring, sharing the hurts, pains, and difficulties of the ministry as a pastor, I felt the Lord finally release me, that I might have something to say."^{[citation needed]}

Wilkerson and his wife Gwen moved to New York City at the inception of Times Square Church in 1987, and in 2006 began splitting their time between New York and Texas. They have four children and eleven grandchildren.^{[citation needed]}

Prophecies[link]

Wilkerson claimed to have received a vision in 1973 regarding the future of the United States, subsequently published in a book called The Vision. Some of the subject areas of this reputed prophecy were: "Worldwide recession caused by economic confusion"; "Nature having labor pains"; "A flood of filth and a baptism of dirt in America"; "Rebellion in the home"; and "A persecution madness against truly Spirit filled Christians who love Jesus Christ".

Death[link]

On April 27, 2011, while driving east on US Route 175 in Texas, Wilkerson crossed into the westbound lane and collided head-on with a tractor trailer. He was pronounced dead on the scene. His wife was injured.^[6]

Rev. Wilkerson's last blog post stated the following: "To those going through the valley and shadow of death, hear this word: Weeping will last through some dark, awful nights," he wrote, "and in that darkness you will soon hear the Father whisper, `I am with you. I cannot tell you why right now, but one day it will all make sense. You will see it was all part of my plan. It was no accident."'^[7]

Bibliography[link]

This article lacks ISBNs for the books listed in it. Please make it easier to conduct research by listing ISBNs. If the {{Cite book}} or {{citation}} templates are in use, you may add ISBNs automatically, or discuss this issue on the talk page. (April 2011)

• The Cross and the Switchblade (with John and Elizabeth Sherrill) . Jove. 1962. ^[2] , ISBN 0-5150-9025-5
• America's Last Call, On the Brink of a Financial Holocaust ^[8] (1998), ISBN 0-8836-8617-1
• Beyond The Cross and the Switchblade (1974), ISBN 0-8912-9151-2
• Born Old (1966) original title The Little People, ISBN 0-5510-1076-2
• David Wilkerson Exhorts the Church (1991) ISBN 9780829703962
• David Wilkerson Speaks Out (1973), ISBN 978-0871230911
• Dearly Beloved ^[9] (2009), ISBN 0-9712187-4-9
• End Times New Testament ISBN 978-0912376110
• Get Your Hands Off My Throat (1971), ISBN 978-8472281332
• God's Plan to Protect His People in the Coming Depression ^[10] (1998), ISBN 978-0883686164
• Hallowed Be Thy Names ^[11] (May 2001) ISBN 0-9709326-0-X
• Have You Felt Like Giving Up Lately?^[12] (1980) ISBN 0-8007-8481-2
• Hey, Preach . . . You're Comin' Through! (1968) ISBN 978-0891290643
• Hungry For More of Jesus ^[13] (February 1992) ISBN 978-0800792008
• I'm Not Mad at God (1967), ISBN 978-0871232458
• I've Given Up On Parents (1969), ISBN 978-0340108291
• Jesus Christ Solid Rock: The Return Of Christ (with Kathryn Kuhlman, Hal Lindsey and W. A. Criswell) (1973), ISBN B0006CB6QO
• Jesus Person Maturity Manual, ISBN B0006VUOTU
• Jesus Person Pocket Promise Book (1972), ISBN B001YQF2ZM
• The Jesus walk: Selected " why's " and " how-to's " for a closer walk with Christ (A Regal Jesus Person Maturity book) (1972), ISBN 978-0830701711
• Life on the Edge of Time (1972) ISBN 978-0800705534
• Man, Have I Got Problems (1969) ISBN 978-0515046687
• My Bible Speaks to Me
• The New Covenant Unveiled ^[14] (April 2000), ISBN 978-0966317237
• One Way To Where? (1972), ISBN 978-0830701698
• Parents on Trial (1967), ISBN B00005WKI6
• Pocket Promise Book (1972), ISBN 0-8307-0191-5
• Pocket Proverbs (1983), ISBN 0-8307-0893-6
• Promises To Live By, ISBN 978-0830718870
• Purple Violet Squish (1969), ISBN 978-0551000483
• Racing Toward Judgment (1976), ISBN 978-0800782764
• Rebel's Bible (1970), ISBN 978-0551007512
• Revival on Broadway ^[15] (September 1996), ISBN 978-0966317206
• Rock Bottom (pamphlet) (1981), ISBN B00071PA5C
• Set the Trumpet to thy Mouth (1985), ISBN 978-0883686409
• Sipping Saints ^[16] (1978), ISBN 0-8007-8339-5
• Suicide (1978), ISBN 978-0800786434
• This Is Loving? (1972), ISBN 978-0830701704
• Triumph Through Tragedy ^[17] (2001), ISBN 978-0800793562
• Twelve Angels from Hell (1965), ISBN 978-0551004238
• The Untapped Generation (with Don Wilkerson) (1971), ISBN 978-1135577704
• Victory Over Sin and Self (1980) Originally titled Two of Me, ISBN 978-0800784348
• The Vision (1973), ISBN 0-515-03286-7.
• What Every Teenager Should Know About Drugs (1971), ISBN 978-0551050679
• When In Doubt, Faith It! (1972), ISBN 978-0830701681

See also[link]

• Nicky Cruz
• Teen Challenge
• Times Square Church

References[link]

External links[link]

• Wilkerson's blog
• Wilkerson's website
• Times Square Church
• Report of his death