Francis wrote:
Well, we know that there are counterfiets of BTY Tenergy rubbers, so why not counterfiets of Friendship products ?
Why? Easy: money.
The makers of fake rubbers have the cost of rubber production and distribution, while the genuine makers have the additional cost of marketing. The production cost for a fake is probably similar - and distribution cost is exactly the same - regardless of which rubber you are faking. It is quite possible that the actual production cost of some genuine rubbers are lower than for the fakes (because of larger batches etc. giving more efficient production).
A quick check indicates that the most expensive regular Friendship rubber is cheaper than the cheapest Butterfly rubber. If the customer is looking for a bargain, he is most likely looking for a Butterfly bargain (or perhaps Joola, Xiom, Donic, etc. Most Friendship rubbers are a bargain from the outset
).So if you make fakes of expensive rubbers (instead of the "budget friendly" varieties), you make more money from each sheet (because they command a higher price), and you sell more sheets (because a bargain is more interesting when the common price is high).
Of course there is the risk of being caught. I guess the "high profile" makers (Butterfly et.al.) will be more aggressive in pursuing a case than those with a more modest approach to marketing. That may be the only reason for the fakers to steer clear of Butterfly...