UNIT ONE: ILL GOTTEN GAINS NEVER PROSPER THINK, PAIR, SHARE

Activity one: complete the dialogue

A:…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….........................................………………….. ?

B: A counterfeit is something that is forged, copied or imitated without the doer having the right to do
it

A:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..........................................………………….. ?

B: The purpose of counterfeiting is deceiving or defrauding.

A:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….........................................…………………….. ?

B: These products are produced and sold in underground economies or in markets

A:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………......................................….......……………………….. ?

B: Yes, counterfeiting operates outside the law?

A: :…………………………………………………………………………………………….........................................…………………………….…………….. ?

B: Counterfeiting has increased because of the internet, the growth in international commerce and easy
access to sophisticated technology.

A:…………………………………………………………………………………………….........................................…………………………….…………….. ?

B: Yes, these counterfeit goods can be life-threatening.

A:…………………………………………………………………………………………….........................................…………………………….…………….. ?

B: An example of that is contaminated food, hazardous toys or falsified spare parts for electrical goods
cars or aircraft.

A:…………………………………………………………………………………………….........................................…………………………….…………….. ?

B: counterfeiting has many negative consequences such as: lost sales, lower profits and the loss of brand
trust and value.

A:…………………………………………………………………………………………….........................................…………………………….…………….. ?

B: Yes, the economy, consumers and the government also suffer.

A:…………………………………………………………………………………………….........................................…………………………….…………….. ?

B: the public can help by being more vigilant and avoid buying fakes.

Activity two: join the pairs using the connector given

1. A-Imitated products are poor quality.(such.................that)

B-they don’t last long.

2. A-counterfeit products are of bad quality.(such.................that)

3. A-Fake foods or medicine are unsafe (as a result)

B-They can cause dangerous diseases

4. A-governments lose a lot of revenue(because)

B-counterfeiters rarely pay taxes

5. A-consumers are harmed when they buy pirated goods(because)

B-they pay a price for an inferior product

6. A-Entrepreneurs lose profits and countries lose tax revenue(As)

B-counterfeiting slows economic growth

7. A-Manufacturing techniques have become increasingly sophisticated.(As)

B-everything from electrical products to software and antibiotics can be counterfeited.

8. A- counterfeiting operates outside the law (Since)

B-measuring the exact level of counterfeiting and the harm it brings is extremely difficult

9. A-Consumers receive poorer quality products(that)

B- The products are unsafe and unregulated

10. A-Consumers must stop buying fake products.(because)

B-fakes lack safety standards and their quality is low.

Activity three: Fill in the gaps using the words given: “are –life- countries- endangering- development-
counterfeit”

With the rapid movement of goods in our global economy, (1) ...................... and unsafe products
are arriving in ever greater quantities on national markets and posing a major challenge for
(2) ...................... worldwide. Counterfeiting is not only an infringement of the intellectual property rights
of individuals and companies, it creates a discouragement for investors and hinders economic
(3) ....................... Today, profits from counterfeit products such as CDs and DVDs are greater than
those from heroin. With jail sentences considerably shorter than for drugs, criminals are finding this
type of business less risky.

As counterfeit goods flood markets, they (4) ...................... undermining our economies, depriving
Governments of revenue from taxes, and often (5) ...................... the health and safety of consumers.
Some of these goods can even be (6).................... -threatening – such as adulterated or contaminated
food, hazardous toys or falsified spare parts for electrical goods, cars or aircraft.
Activity four: Reorder the parts of the opinion article

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a) Thirdly, it is highly immoral to reap where other people have sown. Pirating products is indeed
imitating other people’s property, and refusing to engage in a creative act. It is much more rewarding
to turn one’s abilities to creating new objects of value that could serve the community, or improve
the performance of existing ones.
b) Fourthly, pirating objects is by essence theft, especially when the producer of a fake item affixes
the label of a well-known trade mark on it. Some countries are notorious for their practice of
counterfeit objects. One wouldn’t like Algerians to be known for practising this dubious trade, as
much as one wouldn’t like to see them buy cheap, fake products and head into unsuspected troubles.
c) Secondly, if we think of fake foods or medicines, and the criminal procedures used by the people who
make them, we can only remain firm on buying genuine products. There are several cases of
substitute edibles which have caused dangerous diseases to people and which have resulted in long-
lasting law suits. The outcomes could only be compensations paid for irreparable damage but the
moral damage caused to the victims can never be repaired! Recent figures released by the European
Union show that the customs are confiscating 100 million fake items every year.
d) Some people argue that counterfeiting benefits consumers by giving them access to lower-price
goods. This is a totally mistaken claim. First, imitated goods are poor quality and do not last long.
There is then no guarantee of value for money and more importantly, that fake goods are safe.
Imagine how much damage low quality parts fitted in a car can do to the driver and passengers when
they fail!
Activity five: use the previous activities to write an opinion article about the following question

Many people think that it’s perfectly acceptable to buy fake products. “Does counterfeiting benefit
consumers by giving them access to lower prices or no? Justify
 One of the (biggest /main/major/principal /largest) (problems/ difficulty, trouble, dilemma) we
face is...................... .........................poses a major challenge for countries worldwide. /
 .....................is (longstanding/long lasting/ancient) problem.
.........................is a dangerous growing activity
  Firstly I would like to say that ........................ is ethically wrong and certain laws should be made
against it. The Costs of............................far (outweigh/overcome/excel/surpass) its benefits.
 ............................has severe negative consequences:........................................
 One of the main consequences is...........................
 .......................... results in /produces /causes........................./The widespread
of..........................creates.
 A tragic effect of..........................is.............................
 One surprising result of...............is................................
 One of the most serious effects is...............................
 One damaging result is that................................
 Another factor is........................ In summary,............................
The effects of counterfeiting: loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in sales/ entrepreneurs
lose profits/cost thousands of job loss/loss of tax revenue/ slow economic growth/support
criminal activities/ reinforce organized crime/produce health and safety concerns/counterfeit
products lack safety standards and their quality is low/negative impact on innovation: inventors
are discouraged-kills innovation and creativity/harm consumers health and economies/ pose real
health risks/damage the country’s reputation/ How to stop the fake trade: Avoid buying fake
products/being vigilant/Make people more aware of the dangers of buying a fake product