On the streets of any large city, you will find vendors selling knockoffs of expensive brands, from watches to handbags. Most people who pick up a bargain from a street vendor know that the "brand-name" product they're buying is not the real thing. But many consumers are unaware that some of the products they buy-including DVDs-are actually pirated. Piracy and counterfeit are issues with enormous legal, economic, and human consequences.

Directions

For this Project, you will research the issues of counterfeit and piracy and write an argumentative essay. The essay must incorporate information from at least three different sources. Follow the steps below to complete the assignment. Review the concepts of counterfeit, piracy, intellectual property, licensing, trademark, and copyright. Make sure you understand what types of products are most commonly counterfeited/pirated and why. Think about the consequences of counterfeit and piracy and the people who are affected.

Choose one of these two topics to explore:
Software and/or media (CDs, DVDs)

Fashion and luxury goods.

Write an essay in which you take a position for or against the counterfeiting of intellectual property or pirating of the goods within your topic. Structure as follows:

Using your own words, explain the concepts of counterfeit, piracy, intellectual property, licensing, trademark and copyright.

Explain how these concepts relate to the topic you have chosen.

Make an argument for or against counterfeiting and piracy as they relate to your topic.

Support your argument by including and explaining relevant statistics and examples.

Address the counterargument (what someone arguing against your position would say) by explaining why it is invalid.

Feel free to include graphics to help illustrate your points.

Note that for this Project, it is especially important that the paper you submit represent your own work and your own words.