Dan on BladeReviews.com has an interesting rant on "YouTube’s Counterfeit Culture". I think there is an important distinction between counterfeits, which claim to be a certain brand, and knockoffs, that only look and work like it. If something is truly innovative in how it works or looks, the creator should protect it with a patent or a design patent. If not, then cheap imitations are okay, as long as you know what you are getting. Nonessential things you can afford to skimp on. Stuff that you are relying on to survive, you want to know you have the best quality possible.
Hey John, glad the post got you thinking - I agree that it's a fascinating topic. I know I didn't provide a lot of specific examples in my post (I really didn't feel like giving these people more exposure than necessary), but the knives that I was referring to are protected by US Design patents and I've seen a number of instances where actual counterfeits are being made (bearing the logos of the original designer). Sadly these counterfeiters operate in countries that have no respect for intellectual property rights.
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Dan @ BladeReviews.com