Award-Winning Fakes
- Can you tell the difference between these watches? On the left is a FORTIS B-42 Official Cosmonauts Chronograph wristwatch that runs for $2,000 to $2,300, and on the right is a counterfeit. Counterfeits like this cheat designers and innovators out of their hard-earned money. At the world's largest annual consumer goods fair, the "Plagiarius Awards" shame counterfeiters and distributors of fake goods. (Originals are shown on the left, copies on the right.)<br /><A HREF="http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/feb2008/id2008028_239309.htm?campaign_id=aol" target="_blank">Read More</A><br /><b>Next: <a href="http://money.aol.com/bw/general/designer-pcs?photo=2" onclick="return hpg_next();">Salt & Pepper Set</a></b>
- <b>First Prize</b><br /><b>Original Manufacturer:</b> WMF, Geislingen/Steige, Germany<br /><b>Copier:</b> Shantou Lian Plastic Products, Guangdong, China<br /><br />The good design of the the Two-in-One salt-and-pepper shaker set attracted strong imitation. The copy -- rendered in plastic rather than metal -- looked so similar to the original that the judges awarded it first place.<br /><a href="http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/02/0209_plagarism_awards/source/2.htm?campaign_id=aol" target="_blank">More on the Two-in-One</a><br /><b>Next: <a href="http://money.aol.com/bw/general/designer-pcs?photo=2" onclick="return hpg_next();">Vegetable Slicer</a></b>
- <b>Second Prize</b><br /><b>Original Manufacturer:</b> B'rner Kunststoff- und Metallwarenfabrik, Niederkail, Germany<br /><b>Distributor:</b> Mesa Products, Doetinchem, the Netherlands<br /><br />The Trend-Line V3 vegetable slicer knockoff is an exact copy, but the brand name has been deleted.<br /><br /><a href="http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/02/0209_plagarism_awards/source/3.htm?campaign_id=aol" target="_blank">More on the Slicer</a><br /><b>Next: <a href="http://money.aol.com/bw/general/designer-pcs?photo=2" onclick="return hpg_next();">Heating System</a></b>
- <b>Third Prize</b><br /><b>Original Manufacturer:</b> Pneumatex, F'llinsdorf, Switzerland<br /><b>Copier:</b> Heinrich Winkelmann, Ahlen, Germany<br /><br />This counterfeit product looked so similar in form factor, color, and even the label shape that some Pneumatex employees couldn't tell the difference at first glance.<br /><a href="http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/02/0209_plagarism_awards/source/4.htm" target="_blank">More on the PND</a><br /><b>Next: <a href="http://money.aol.com/bw/general/designer-pcs?photo=2" onclick="return hpg_next();">MEM Faucet</a></b>
- <b>Distinction</b><br /><b>Original Manufacturer:</b> A.F. Dornbracht, Iserlohn, Germany<br /><b>Distributor:</b> Wenzhou Foreign Trade Industrial Product, Zhejiang, China and Selectronica, Frankfurt, Germany<br /><br />Visually, Dornbracht's three-hole basin mixer is almost identical to the Chinese copy.<br /><br /><a href="http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/02/0209_plagarism_awards/source/5.htm?campaign_id=aol" target="_blank">More on the MEM Faucet</a><br /><br /><b>Next: <a href="http://money.aol.com/bw/general/designer-pcs?photo=2" onclick="return hpg_next();">ASUSTeK</a></b>
- <b>Distinction</b><br /><b>Original Manufacturer:</b> Gebr'der Niessing, Vreden, Germany<br /><b>Copier:</b> Horst Stichnoth, Hannover, Germany<br /><br />High-end German jeweler Gebr'der Niessing's braided bracelets -- two or more strands of flat gold or platinum -- were copied by competitor Horst Stichnoth in steel.<br /><a href="http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/02/0209_plagarism_awards/source/6.htm?campaign_id=aol" target="_blank">More on the Bracelets</a><br /><b><a href="http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/02/0209_plagarism_awards/source/7.htm?campaign_id=aol" target="_blank">Continue the Slide Show</a></b><br /><b>Next: <a href="http://money.aol.com/bw/general/designer-pcs?photo=2" onclick="return hpg_next();">More from AOL</a></b>
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