Merchandise “Counterfeiting”

Dear Bureaucrat,

I just watched the World News on CNN [March 21st] reporting from the European Union’s attempts in trying to stop counterfeiting of merchandise. The report included examples of “counterfeit” products such as cheaper Viagra medicine and Manchester United shirts.
      This report, based on the “information” supplied by the European Union, claimed such counterfeiting of patented or non-patented merchandise “hurts” consumers and workers in the European Union. In an official statement from the Union it is even claimed 10,000 jobs are “lost” because of this counterfeiting.
      I strongly doubt the accuracy of such statements, and would like to know on what you base such “information.” From my point of view, consumers can only benefit from competitors making products available at lower cost. This is presumably also the basis of the so-called “freedoms” of merchandise, services, capital, and people in the Union.
      Since competition cuts costs and thereby strengthens the position of the individual consumer and the consumer community in whole, what are your reasons in claiming it hurts the same people?
      The other question concerns your official statement that 10,000 jobs may be lost because of the un-regulated merchandise production or “counterfeiting.” I do not understand how jobs can disappear when the products are still produced and sold, but by other vendors. Actors on the so-called black market need to produce the merchandise just as non-black market actors. The number of jobs should because of this be the same no matter in which segment of the market production takes place.
      Also, production of “black” market merchandise is to a great degree placed in “non-black” market production facilities such as factories. It is probable production of “counterfeits” many times take place in the very same facilities and with the very same laborers as the non-counterfeit.
      The information you provide does not make sense and simply cannot be true unless interpreted as the jobs are lost only in official statistics. If so, you withhold an important part of the truth in your statement. If not, you are simply lying.
      My question is thus; how can 10,000 jobs be lost through the re-placement of production (from non-black to black markets)?

Please RSVP,

Per Bylund
Citizen