Short answer
Fake Burberry handbags are unlicensed copies that carry Burberry trademarks. Burberry Group plc does not make them and does not license them. Trafficking in counterfeit goods is a federal crime in the United States under 18 U.S.C. 2320. U.S. Customs and Border Protection can seize and destroy shipments under 19 U.S.C. 1526.
What Burberry protects
Thomas Burberry opened his first shop in Basingstoke, England, in 1856. The company holds registrations for several marks. Counterfeit bags copy one or more of them.
- The BURBERRY word mark.
- The Equestrian Knight Device, in use since 1901. The flag carries the Latin word Prorsum.
- The Burberry Check. The company first used the pattern as a coat lining in the 1920s. It became a registered trademark.
- The TB monogram and the Thomas Burberry monogram.
Price gap
Burberry leather handbags list from about $1,000 to $3,000 on the brand site. Counterfeit versions sell from $30 to $150. That gap covers leather, hardware, lining, labor, and the trademark license the brand carries.
Most counterfeit bags use polyurethane or split leather. Burberry uses full-grain leather, cotton gabardine, and jacquard woven check fabric.
Points to check
- Stitching. Burberry leather goods run about 8 to 10 stitches per inch. Counterfeits run 5 to 6 and drift at curves.
- Hardware. The zipper pulls and buckles carry weight and even plating. Counterfeit hardware uses zinc alloy. It pits and flakes.
- Check pattern. Line width and angle are fixed. On fakes, lines meet at odd angles and the repeat is off.
- Interior stamp. The same typeface appears across models. Fakes mix fonts and letter spacing.
- Serial and date codes. Not every model has one. An absent code proves nothing on its own.
Seller terms
Labels such as 1:1, mirror, AAA, and grade come from sellers. No brand uses them. They carry no published standard and no third-party inspection. Two bags sold under the same label can come from different factories with different materials.
Legal status
Under 18 U.S.C. 2320, a first offense carries up to 10 years in prison and a $2 million fine for an individual. A company faces up to $5 million. A second offense raises the terms to 20 years, $5 million, and $15 million.
The Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. 1117, allows statutory damages up to $2 million per counterfeit mark per type of goods when the use is willful. A rights holder can file suit without showing lost sales.
Authentication
Paperwork helps. Original receipt, box, dust bag, and price tag all support a claim. Receipts can be forged, so paperwork alone is weak evidence. Paid authentication services photograph stitching, hardware, and stamps, then issue a report. Entrupy and Real Authentication are two of them. No service guarantees a result.
Data limits
Burberry does not publish a public serial number lookup. A buyer cannot check a code against the brand. Prices in this guide reflect listed retail figures and change. Seizure totals vary by fiscal year and appear in CBP published statistics.