I always find it interesting to actually analyse why fakes/counterfeits, worn by other people, make some who own the genuine thing feel upset. I sometimes feel the same way and have to stop myself and ask why what other people carry/wear impact my own feelings, when they actually have nothing to do with me.
Am I frustrated because I paid 10x what they did, for something that can so easily be copied at a fraction of the price I paid - therefore acknowledging to myself that I have fallen victim to brand marketing by massively overpaying for an item?
Am I angry because I'm no longer part of an exclusive "club", toting about an expensive item that sets me apart from people who cannot afford it because it is a status symbol?
Am I annoyed at oversaturation, because the bag I'd bought was special to me, but seeing it on everybody around me makes me bored and takes away the feeling of special-ness?
Am I worried that others will see my real bag, and instantly dismiss me as having a fake one, purely because so many counterfeit bags are around? And if this is the case, why am I actually worried about this - why do what others think of me specifically bother me in any way, as long as I myself know it's the genuine article?
Or is it really all based on legal/ethical/moral objections?
I'm not in any way supporting fakes or counterfeits, I just find the discussion around it interesting. I do think the conversation around it is almost always very emotionally charged and sometimes I think people hesitate to admit why they actually, genuinely, dislike counterfeits, because it involves admitting some not-very-nice feelings and it generates some cognitive dissonance. I try not to let counterfeits on others affect me - and I've started trying to not "spot" counterfeits, i.e. analysing strangers' bags for clues as to whether they're genuine or not. I've found it never does anybody any good and at the end of the day, what other people are wearing should really have nothing to do with me.
