knockoff

That bootleg Louis Vuitton bag you proudly dangle from your arm? Someday soon, it could get you fined, or worse, thrown in jail. Anti-counterfeiting crusaders' new campaigns are designed to shame and scare shoppers out of buying fakes.

Jason Statham made his fortune as a top movie action hero several head-butts ago: His pictures have made well over $1 billion. But the British actor keenly remembers when being a well-paid tough guy meant selling jewelry and perfume out of a briefcase on the street.

Knockoff bags and watches from China are one thing. But the news that whole Apple, Ikea and Disney stores have been faked -- even to the point of duping the employees, in one case -- has shocked many Americans. Why is the U.S. obsessed with Chinese fakes?

A host of big name fashion luminaries have partnered with eBay to send a message about counterfeit goods to consumers via the "You Can't Fake Fashion" campaign: It's time to shake out the fakes and put our buying power behind original design.

We all know that buying a fake Fendi is "bad" to the degree that selling such goods is illegal, and they hurt the companies whose good are being copied, and the economy overall. But it turns out that knockoffs are problematic in many other ways as well: Buying them can put your health and your money at risk.

In a court case that began last year, Apple (AAPL) charged the young upstart Psystar, which makes Mac knock-offs, with a host of copyright and trademark violations. The venerable computer and consumer electronics company said that Psystar had infringed its copyrights by selling PCs that looked like...