A recent consumer survey provided new evidence that counterfeiting in Russia is a pervasive and growing threat. The survey, conducted by The PBN Company and Interactive Research Group (IRG) for PBN's client, the Coalition for Intellectual Property Rights (CIPR), found that 93 percent of Muscovites encountered counterfeits when shopping in 2002.

According to PBN's Senior Vice President Alexander Shelemekh, who also serves as CIPR's Senior Vice President, "The most noteworthy statistic is that nearly three out of four Moscow consumers admitted to purchasing one or more fake products in the past two years."

The survey was conducted in late 2002 in the homes of 1,200 Moscow and 800 Samara consumers. In addition to CIPR, the International Confederation of Consumer Organizations, the Union of Consumers of Russia and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America sponsored the survey.

"The survey's goal was to quantify the opinions of consumers toward the practice of counterfeits and to focus the attention of Russian political leaders, brandholders, retailers, enforcement authorities and consumers organizations on the most immediate actions needed to stem the criminal tide of counterfeiting and piracy," explains Shelemekh.

The survey results were released at a 19 March 2003 Moscow news conference, which was attended by more than two dozen journalists.

Among the other major survey findings were:

• Ninety percent of all Moscow consumers have negative attitudes toward counterfeiting, including 58% who are very negative.
  
• Clothing, footwear and sportswear are the counterfeit products most encountered by consumers (51%), followed by alcohol (47%), food (46%), pirated music and film (37%), medicines (31%), soft drinks (24%), tobacco (23%), household cleaning goods (20%), and personal care items (18%).
  
• Open markets (45%), small shops (22%), kiosks and street vendors (14%), supermarkets (6.5%) and pharmacies (6%) were the locations where consumers said they encountered and purchased counterfeit goods.
  
• While three quarters of the respondents said they were unaware that they were purchasing counterfeit products, one-quarter knowingly sought out fake products to buy.
  

In addition to raising awareness of the counterfeit epidemic in Russia, the survey is also being used to help bolster CIPR's and the other sponsors' efforts to advocate for stronger anti-counterfeiting and other intellectual property rights legislation.

"Using the results of the survey, CIPR and our partners are making the case to President Putin that Russian consumers want and expect his leadership in solving this multi-billion dollar problem," says PBN's Shelemekh.

Email Sasha: alexander.shelemekh@pbnco.com

For complete copies of the survey and news coverage: http://www.cipr.org/