Some counterfeit hockey merchandise seized in an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Canada's RCMP was honoured Tuesday for its work with U.S. and other foreign and domestic authorities to combat the sale and manufacture of such counterfeit goods. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Associated Press)The RCMP has been honoured for its role efforts to combat counterfeiting domestically and abroad.

The Global Anti-Counterfeiting Awards are handed out each year by Reconnaissance International and the Global Anti-Counterfeiting Group. The 2010 awards were announced in Paris Tuesday.

"Dedicated officers have been creative in trying to utilize Canada's outdated and insufficient criminal provisions addressing counterfeiting and piracy," the group said of the RCMP.

The RCMP has also been active in educational initiatives and worked alongside the Interpol Intellectual Property Crime Action Group in raising awareness about counterfeiting.

Costs of counterfeiting

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development estimates $250 billion US is spent on counterfeit goods each year.

But in its international analysis, Canada ranks low among buyers and producers of counterfeit goods, with China, Hong Kong and Eastern Europe topping the list.

Still, the Canadian Anti-Counterfeiting Network maintains that Canada is vulnerable to a deluge of counterfeit goods because its enforcement lags behind other countries, in particular, the United States and Britain.

The RCMP estimates "billions of dollars" worth of counterfeit and pirated products are made and sold in Canada, resulting in "substantial unemployment and revenue losses in the private sector, along with significant tax losses."

Why consumers buy fake goods

A report by the group Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting paints a bleak picture of public attitudes toward counterfeit goods.

The international study looked at 176 consumer perception studies, 202 consumer awareness campaigns and conducted interviews and discussions with experts and consumers in several countries.

It found that consumers from a wide range of professional and economic backgrounds had little problem with purchasing fake goods.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials view thousands of counterfeit watches with Rolex logos seized during a Philadelphia-area investigation. Studies show consumers have no qualms about buying fake products. (Matt Rourke/Associated Press)Eighty per cent of the consumers surveyed admitted they had bought a counterfeit or pirated product at least once in their lives.

Some of the higher-income buyers happily purchased counterfeit goods and claimed to be experts in finding the right copies. The sort of goods they bought were generally higher-end items such as fashion, electronic products and computer software.

Lower income buyers claimed they couldn't afford to pay the high cost of the original item and saw little wrong with picking up a fake version.

Another class of consumer felt big corporations were unethical and did not have their customers' best interests at heart, and thus saw the purchase of fake goods as a means of striking out against corporations.

Overall, the study found that as income increases, the tendency to purchase fake products decreases.

DVDs, CDs, computer software and clothing were the most common counterfeit or pirated purchases. Cigarettes and medicine were least commonly bought.

Health risks were the greatest deterrent to buying fake goods.

Role of the RCMP

The focus of the RCMP's National Anti-Counterfeiting Bureau is on fake travel documents such as passports and visas, as well as currency and credit cards. It has expertise in forensic examination of documents, currency and credit cards and shares its skills with other police agencies.

This is the second year in a row the RCMP has received recognition for its work. In 2009, the Bank of Canada gave the RCMP's anti-counterfeiting bureau its Law Enforcement Award of Excellence.

"I congratulate the RCMP for being recognized by the international community for its vigilance in the global fight to prevent the illegal distribution of counterfeit goods," said Public Safety Minister Vic Toews. "This award demonstrates that Canada is viewed as a global leader in protecting the rights of legitimate, hard-working industry and the safety of our communities."