Canon Finds Consumers’ Confidence Reigns on Counterfeit Consumer Electronics

Canon released that a study it commissioned found the counterfeit confidence trapped in America.

According to the OEM, its 2013 Anti-Counterfeit Study focused on U.S. consumers’ attitudes and perceptions of counterfeit consumer electronics in the U.S.. The results unveiled three out of every four consumers surveyed were concerned about counterfeit consumer electronics, but only about one in two believed they can accurately identify counterfeit consumer electronics.

The study also revealed:

• In 2013, 12 percent of the U.S. consumers surveyed knowingly bought fake consumer electronics, while 18 percent bought them unknowingly.
• 40 percent of U.S. consumers surveyed were unaware that counterfeit consumer electronics may harm them.
• 45 percent believed that counterfeit consumer electronics do the job just as well as genuine consumer electronics.
• 97 percent wanted more information so they can identify counterfeits.

“Most American consumers are unaware of the full risks associated with these potentially dangerous devices. Four in ten of the U.S. consumers surveyed don’t know counterfeit consumer electronics can harm them, and this lack of awareness leads to what Canon calls a ‘Confidence Trap’,” said Chuck Westfall, Technical Advisor, Professional Engineering & Solutions Division, Canon U.S.A, Inc. “Based on the survey, consumers seem overconfident in their ability to spot a fake, and as a result, are at risk of possible harm.”