Spot the difference: consumer responses towards counterfeits

TLDR

The study examines consumers’ motivation for buying counterfeits or pirated goods and investigates how social, personality, and demographic factors influence their attitudes toward piracy. The authors examined how social, personality, and demographic factors shape consumers’ attitudes toward piracy. Consumers who purchase counterfeits perceive them as less risky, view sellers positively, and consider them beneficial to society, while more value‑conscious, less normatively susceptible, and lower‑income individuals hold more favorable attitudes that in turn increase purchase intention.

Abstract

Examines consumers’ motivation for buying counterfeits or pirated goods. The findings indicated that, compared to those who did not buy pirated music CDs, those who bought the counterfeits viewed such purchases as less risky, and trusted stores that sell counterfeits more. They did not see counterfeits as too unfair to singers or the music industry, thought they benefit the society more, and did not see people who buy them as unethical. We also investigated the influence of social, personality, and demographic factors on consumers’ attitude towards piracy. We found that the more value‐conscious and less normatively susceptible one was, and the less integrity one had, the more favorable was one’s attitude towards piracy. Demographic characteristics were also significant in influencing attitude. Males and those from lower income groups held more favorable attitudes. Finally, attitude towards piracy was significant in influencing purchase intention.