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Dispatches
Notebook
Field notes on counterfeiting, brand protection, and the long, unglamorous work of catching the people behind the fakes.
6 articles, written by Alex Wrexford
Browse by category
Each category page collects every article on its topic, with an intro essay and answers to the questions readers ask most often.
All articles
Notebook-8 min
How to Spot a Counterfeit: What Investigators Actually Check
The signals investigators check to spot a fake: listing and price, the parcel and paperwork, and the physical teardown. Practical, honest, no certainty.
5 June 2026
Notebook-10 min
Superfakes Explained: How Mirror-Grade Counterfeits Fool the Experts
What a superfake is, why mirror-grade fakes fool authenticators, and how the makers and resellers actually get caught. A plain guide.
5 June 2026
Notebook-12 min
What Is Schedule A Litigation? A Plain-English Guide
Schedule A litigation lets a brand sue thousands of anonymous online sellers at once, freezing their accounts before they know they've been sued. Here's how it works.
5 June 2026
Notebook-9 min
Why Do Takedowns Fail Against Counterfeiters?
Takedowns remove listings, not sellers. Here is why whack-a-mole enforcement loses, and what actually changes a counterfeiter's behaviour.
5 June 2026
Notebook-2 min
Why I Wrote The Takedown
A book about how the world's counterfeiters get caught, and why almost everyone fighting fakes is fighting the wrong battle.
1 June 2026