Counterfeit consumer goods (knock-offs in colloquial language) are by legal definition goods infringing the rights of a trade mark holder by displaying a trade mark which is either identical to a protected trade mark or by using an identification mark which "cannot be distinguished in its essential aspects from such trade mark, and which thereby infringes the rights of the holder of the trade mark."At a practical level, counterfeit goods are typically of inferior quality, not subject to corporate quality control or government safety standards. While these may include nothing worse than shoddy Lululemon or Nike knockoffs, in many cases, fake consumer goods have proven to be unsafe, if not outright deadly. The counterfeit market has expanded into areas in which a reasonable person would most expect to be able to rely on some standard of quality. Counterfeit cancer drugs, HIV medications, antimalarial drugs, vehicle airbags, baby formula, cosmetics, consumer electronics and food products have all resulted in fatalities in recent years. Both sponsored and independent news aggregators monitor ongoing developments in counterfeit consumer goods.The range of counterfeited consumer goods is immense. Besides numerous small items such as watches, purses, cigarettes, movies and software, larger items such as cars and motorcycles are also being knocked off, including Porsches and Ferraris. There is a rapidly growing trade in counterfeit computer parts, with some fakes discovered inadvertently in use by NASA, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army, which alone estimates that the growth in counterfeit electronics has more than doubled between 2005 and 2008. There are several causes for this increase, including that more of the world's manufacturing is being transferred to developing nations, the growth in Internet e-commerce sales, and the fact that consumers hit by the recession will seek out lower-cost items.The spread of counterfeit goods has become global in recent years. According to the Counterfeiting Intelligence Bureau (CIB) of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), counterfeit goods make up 5 to 7% of world trade. A report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) states that up to $200 billion of international trade could have been for counterfeit and pirated goods in 2005, and around $250 billion in 2007. Other estimates conclude that a more accurate figure is closer to $600 billion lost, since the OECD estimates do not include online sales or goods counterfeited and sold within the same country.Revenues from the counterfeit market feed back into a variety of criminal and terrorist organizations. Illicit cigarettes are a vivid example of the multi-pronged threat of counterfeiting, providing hundreds of millions of dollars per year to entities such as Hamas, Hezbollah, al-Qaida, Islamic Jihad and the PKK, counterfeit cigarettes cost taxpayers in every nation billions in lost revenues while foisting on an unsuspecting public a product found to contain things like human excrement, asbestos and dead flies. The harm arising from this amalgam of contaminants sits on top of any baseline hazard ascribed to commercial tobacco products.The United States faces the most economic impact, being the world's largest consumer nation. Underwriters Laboratories (UL) confirms that counterfeiting is "a thriving multi-billion dollar global industry," where the risks of legal consequences are low. In addition, counterfeiting profits fund other organized criminal activities. In 2007, it estimated 750,000 jobs had been lost in the U.S. alone due to counterfeiting. The value of counterfeit goods seized at U.S. borders jumped 40% in one year, from 2007 to 2008, while Europe seized over 50% more during that same year.Counterfeiters use the reputation of a trademark, which brand manufacturers have built up on the basis of the quality of their products, to fool consumers about the true origin and quality of the goods.U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder stated that "intellectual property crimes are not victimless. The theft of ideas and the sale of counterfeit goods threaten economic opportunities and financial stability, suppress innovation and destroy jobs.” Director John Morton of the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) adds that "the sale of counterfeit U.S. brands on the Internet steals the creative work of others, costs our economy jobs and revenue and can threaten the health and safety of American consumers. . . we are dedicated to protecting the jobs, the income and the tax revenue that disappear when counterfeit goods are trafficked.” According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, for every $1 invested in fighting against counterfeits, the country gains $5 in new tax revenue. Counterfeited spareparts (speaking for example of forged brake linings or safety valves) endanger road transport and general aviation as well as the associated industries. Counterfeit products are often produced in violation of basic human rights and child labor laws. As widely reported the profits support terrorist groups, drug cartels, people smugglers and street gangs. Crackdown on counterfeit goods is thus not only a matter of job security for various countries, but one of national and international security.