A counterfeit is designed to pass as genuine
It uses a brand’s name, logo, or other identifying features without permission, and presents them as though they came from the brand itself. A copied monogram on a bag. Skincare in near-identical packaging. Shoes bearing an unauthorised logo. The message to the buyer is: this is the real product.
A dupe usually does not claim to be genuine
It is sold, consciously or not, as an “alternative”: a similar look, formula, scent, or experience, at a lower price. The seller may even acknowledge the comparison. These listings are often pushed into virality on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
Less a trend than a cultural norm
Seventy-one per cent of Gen Z say they regularly buy cheaper versions of name-brand products. Videos tagged #dupe on TikTok have drawn 5.9 billion views, and those waves of attention turn into sales.
Sometimes a dupe crosses into infringement
Trade dress covers the commercial look and feel of a product. Courts assess it against the likelihood of consumer confusion. In June 2025, Lululemon sued Costco over alleged copies of its Scuba sweatshirts, Define jackets, and ABC pants.
Dupes can be camouflage for IP infringement. Courts are aware of that.
The dupe economy is a detection problem first
Global trade in counterfeit goods was valued at about USD 467 billion in 2021, or 2.3% of total global imports. That volume does not move through obvious listings. It moves through coded language, redirected traffic, and supply chains that sit well behind the storefront. And through #dupes too.
Bridge goes beyond detection. We investigate, disrupt, and enforce, online and offline, wherever the brand or the infringers move.
Sources: Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins, “Gen Z Is the ‘Dupe’ Generation,” Business Insider, 14 December 2023; OECD / EUIPO, Mapping Global Trade in Fakes 2025 (2021 customs seizure data).