When I first read in The Korea Times that The Korea Customs Service (KCS) donated counterfeit clothes to Bangladeshi students, I was angry, even more so when the article said that this was to promote a stronger relationship. In most developed nations, giving fake clothes would hardly be considered a gesture of friendship.

After I thought about it and considered the sincerity of the donating agency, I remembered that Bangladesh is very different, that necessities are hard to come by, and that functionality trumps brand. So should we give counterfeit clothing, shoes, and other items to areas of the world that are unlikely to purchase branded merchandise? At a minimum: trademarks must be removed, the products need to be tested to make sure no toxic chemicals are present, and the donations should be limited to products that don't have performance or safety standards like flame retardancy or safety shoes. This testing and material management has a cost that most customs agencies may not be able to bear in their budgets.

It is true that counterfeit merchandise is piling up in warehouses around the world faster than it can be destroyed. It needs to go somewhere, and destruction is expensive. However, what appears to be cheap, that is, giving it to the poor of the world, may not be as cheap as we think. We must give responsibly, that means we must know it is safe.   If safety testing and giving fakes with removed trademarks away is cheaper than warehousing and destruction, then let's do it, keeping in mind that testing can also be used to create jobs in developing economies. We could also employ convicted counterfeiters to remove trademarks.

Otherwise if we can make the numbers work, and no one can make sure the products are safe, then burn them to create energy. And make convicted counterfeiters run the furnaces.

Pharmaceuticals are different. A single counterfeit pill can do great damage. So destruction of seizures is our only choice. But we could give the counterfeit pills to convicted counterfeiters as their medical treatment when they become sick. And let them do their own safety testing.