• International Journal of Costume and Fashion
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.11-27
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• 2012

This study explores U.S. consumers' perceptions about fashion counterfeit goods and counter feiting and motivations for purchasing and not purchasing those goods. A qualitative research technique utilizing self-administered essay questions was used to collect data. A convenience sample of female college students(N=128) drawn from classes at Midwestern and Southern universities in the U.S. participated in this study. This study found that a majority of consumers tended to perceive that fashion counterfeit goods are merely imitations of the legitimate goods and that counterfeiting is producing and selling fake goods, but a small number of consumers associated those goods with illegally produced goods and illegal practices or violations of intellectual property rights. The major motivations for purchasing counterfeit fashion goods were found to be price/value consciousness, appearance of counterfeit goods, status consumption, availability of the goods, desire for souvenirs, and social(family and peer) influences. In addition, the major deterrents to purchasing these goods were identified as integrity/ethical judgment, poor quality of counterfeit goods, self-image/status, and unavailability of the goods. This study provides policy makers and anti-counterfeit coalitions with information to develop effective educational programs or campaigns to influence consumers' counterfeit fashion purchasing behavior.