Can you spot the real from the fake?

Aspiring consumer watchdogs from the University of Teesside have a challenge for the general public - can they separate counterfeit goods from the real items? A trio of final year BSc (Hons) Consumer Science and Consumer Law students from the University will have a selection of fake and genuine items on display for the public at the Consumer Advice Centre in Middlesbrough Bus Station, on Thursday 15 February from 10am-12 noon and again from 2pm-4pm.

The Patents Office in London first approached the University for assistance in trying to gather information on counterfeit goods in the Teesside area. With the help of Middlesbrough Borough Council’s Trading Standards Department, three Consumer Science and Consumer Law students, Jenny Beadnall from Middlesbrough, Philip Whitfield from Stockton and Rebecca Gibb from Stokesley, are carrying out their final year projects on the subject of counterfeiting.

John Whisson, Course Leader for the Consumer Science and Consumer Law Degree said: "Members of the public may think that identifying counterfeit goods would be easy. The reality is that in this day and age, producers of counterfeit goods have the technology to produce convincing copies. Anyone attending the event will be surprised how difficult the task is."

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