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                        OECD: Fake Goods Fuel Terrorism

   by VOA News

   A study by the [1]Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
   says global trade in [2]counterfeit goods is rising, and proceeds from
   this illegal activity may be larger than the take from illegal drugs,
   and may help fund terror networks and criminal gangs.

   Monday's [3]OECD report shows the trade in fake and pirated goods has
   grown to nearly half a trillion dollars, or about 2.5 percent of global
   imports.

   OECD Deputy Secretary-General Doug Frantz says counterfeit goods are
   the largest contributor to the world's undergound economy, and helped
   fund the Charlie Hebdo terror attacks in Paris.

   Frantz also says counterfeiting produces fake products that endanger
   lives, including "auto parts that fail, pharmaceuticals that make
   people sick, toys that harm children, baby formula that provides no
   nourishment and medical instruments that deliver false readings."

   News accounts describe fake auto brake parts that look right, but
   preform poorly or don't fit the car. Other stories describe fake
   contraceptives with authentic-looking packaging that fail to prevent
   pregnancy.

   Products from the United States, Italy, France, Japan, and Germany are
   the ones most often copied. The study's authors say China is by far the
   largest source of faked goods.
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   [4]http://www.voanews.com/content/oecd-fake-goods-fuel-terrorism/329054
   0.html

References

   1. http://www.oecd.org/unitedstates/
   2. http://www.oecd.org/industry/global-trade-in-fake-goods-worth-nearly-half-a-trillion-dollars-a-year.htm
   3. http://www.oecd.org/governance/risk/trade-in-counterfeit-and-pirated-goods-9789264252653-en.htm
   4. http://www.voanews.com/content/oecd-fake-goods-fuel-terrorism/3290540.html