We live in a time of rapid innovation, where new ideas and technologies make the transition from mere concepts to products on the shelf in impressively short timescales. As consumers, we benefit immensely from this continued research and development by being granted access to a wide variety of new and exciting ideas and products.

However, it is perhaps inevitable that as companies and individuals continue to innovate, malicious players will ride the coat-tails of successful products with fraudulent copies. The United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) has recently published warnings that production of fake car parts is on the rise – made with cheaper and inferior materials, these counterfeit products are more likely to fail, with serious consequences for car drivers and other road users.

It can sometimes be hard to distinguish between the genuine article and cheap copies, as counterfeiters go to great lengths to imitate real products. To help combat the problem, the UKIPO has joined forces with the automobile industry, other parts of government and trading platforms to launch a campaign to warn consumers about the dangers of fake car parts. 

This collaboration has resulted in published guidance (read here) to assist consumers in avoiding counterfeit parts online and on the high street – well worth reading in advance of your next purchase.