CopySacpe

This is one of the many copy protection websites out there today, they help you find those websites that have completely copied your wording and other things like that, it works very well but kinda makes you realise.

copyscape.com

About counterfeit

A counterfeit is an imitation that is made usually with the intent to deceptively represent its content or origins. The word counterfeit most frequently describes forgeries of currency or documents, but can also describe clothing, software, pharmaceuticals, watches, or more recently, cars and motorcycles, especially when this results in patent infringement or trademark infringement.

Media products

Compact Discs, videotapes and DVDs, computer software and other media which are easily copied can be counterfeited, and sold through vendors at street markets, night markets, mail order, and numerous Internet sources, including open auction sites like eBay.

Music enthusiasts may use the term "bootleg recording" to differentiate otherwise unavailable recordings from counterfeited copies of commercially released material.

In India, copies of bestselling books with photocopied jackets sell for a fraction of the genuine retail price. They are openly sold on streetcorners, with hundreds of copies spread out on blankets

Counterfeit.

The higher quality/expensive items also have big problem with counterfeit goods especially watches, ever been on holiday and been shown a box of watches for really cheap?

To make things a little easier to spot (and it wasn't easy at all at a few years ago) They have a hologram buried within there watches that are extremely difficult to replicate.

Counterfeit

Image from http://webpages.csus.edu/~ot28/mis175/

One of the shoes above is counterfeit and the other is the real production shoe from nike there is very little or no noticeable difference between the two shoes, And as these does are more than likely a bit defective it will give Nike a bad name with customers which the obviously dont want, the whole idea behind a brand is to make the people believe and trust that brand.

Not limited to graphic design.

There are many different kinds of disciplines out there, and just as many copycats, waiting to pounce on someone creative. these glasses are another obvious case of copyright infringement.

How much do you need to change a product to get away with it?

The average customer should be able to notice a clear difference between the two.

What is a Patent? Relevant to us?

A patent is a legal right granted by the government to the inventor of an invention, which allows that inventor to prevent others from using the invention (in other words, the patent owner has a monopoly over his invention). Specifically, for a limited amount of time (currently 14 or 20 years, depending on the type of patent), nobody can make, use or sell the invention without the patent holder’s permission.  After that limited amount of time, the patent passes into the public domain.

But because an inventor gets this monopolizing right, he is required to fully disclose information about how to make and use the invention.  The actual paper patent includes this information, and once it is issued, the patent is publicly available so that the public can access and learn from it.

A Patent is a type of copyright for inventors and very very few things that we do in design/art would fall into that category. So it is not really relevant to use like the other subjects are.

How long do they all last?

Copyright

The term of copyright for a particular work depends on several factors, including whether it has been published, and, if so, the date of first publication. As a general rule, for works created after January 1, 1978, copyright protection lasts for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years. For an anonymous work, a pseudonymous work, or a work made for hire, the copyright endures for a term of 95 years from the year of its first publication or a term of 120 years from the year of its creation, whichever expires first.

Trademark

Unlike a patent or a copyright, which only lasts for a specified number of years, trademark protections last indefinitely. As long as the trademark owner continues to use the mark, and as long as the mark does not become generic, the trademark owner will continue to have rights in the mark.

Patent

For 20 years, nobody else can make or sell doohickey’s without your permission. However, anyone can find out how to make and use the doohickey because the patent itself will be made available by the government.