Fake Objects, True Love: The Symbolic Aspects of Consumption of Counterfeit Goods

The article explains the voluntary consumption of counterfeit goods as an example of the productive nature of consumption trends. The use of the object, as well as the symbolic manipulation operated by the consumer, in fact represents a new manufacturing process for the good itself, making the consumed object radically different from the original one. Cultural elements are essential in the voluntary consumption of counterfeit goods, since without them it is not possible to understand the scope and the diffusion of the non-deceptive counterfeiting phenomenon. Indeed, the theory linking counterfeit goods to a mere question of price is contradicted in practice by the widespread phenomenon of mixed consumption. The data on consumers of fashion goods, reveal that subjects radically manipulate objects on an ontological level. Strictly speaking, the consumed objects are not merely true or false, but equally likely. However, these processes can apply only to people with some knowledge of fashion, allowing us to conclude that those who have a high cultural capital occupy an advantaged position.