At a glance both look identical, however on closer inspection notes the brand is different and slight colour highlights between the two irons shown on the picture above. But if the brand name was similar, no one could make out the genuine against the fake. This is the dilemma Panasonic is facing at the moment, the global conglomerate is facing a massive issue with fake products using design elements of its current range which has made into the market.

The Japanese consumer electronics company released a video which shows a lab test of these fake irons similar to those that its own Panasonic irons go through. During the test while the iron initially appears to be problem-free, within a few minutes it begins to burst into flames. These were the same irons circulating around overseas markets and was brought back to Japan and tested to see what would happen if the thermostat that controls the temperature were to malfunction.

It was noted that the manufacturers of the fake product did not equip the iron with a safety measure in the event that the thermostat malfunctioned, with a Panasonic iron however, even if the thermostat were to break, the temperature fuse would function and prevent the temperature from rising above a certain level.

Panasonic attributes the flurry of fake goods on the market to China, which is reported where 80% of fake goods come from. In recent years, they have know to have expanded beyond products for consumers to include specific B2B products as well. Consumers are cautioned of such products in the market, fake products are identical to genuine products in their appearance, packaging, logo, model number, and other aspects. Among them, some actually have the Panasonic brand. Recently, people dealing in fake products use a variety of methods to trick customers into believing that fake products are authentic Panasonic products, including using advertisements and sales methods making it difficult to determine that the products are illegal.

Panasonic is working with authorities at various stages of distribution, including production, import/export, wholesale, and sales to prevent fake good under its brand to exist in the market. From the exposure of fake factories to customs, a variety of measures are employed to eliminate fake products.