The dark side to the rise of e-commerce is the proliferation of counterfeit goods online. At one end of the spectrum this means unwitting shoppers end up with fake Fendi bags - but the more dangerous extreme is the sale of counterfeit medicine. 

The UK's Trading Standards Office has just announced a rise in the number of copycat websites dealing in fake goods. This in itself might seem like non-news. Everyone knows about factories in China and India that churn out imitation Western products. What is more interesting is the role that search engines like Google play in the promotion of companies dealing in these illegal goods. 

Thanks to Google Instant, if you begin to type "fake designer" you end up with a screen full of replica handbag importers before getting halfway through!

Martin McNulty, general manager at Forward 3D and friend of Cream thinks it's all to easy to pass the responsibility to the search engines. 

“Google already has a strict policy in place protecting brands and preventing third party distributors taking advantage of trademarked goods and services within their advert copy. However it would be an impossible task for search engines to monitor every single link and the full burden of responsibility cannot, and should not, be placed solely at their feet. Brands need to be aware of any fraudulent use and be prepared to contact Google as soon a ‘copycat’ product site is found – Google will then act to prevent these sites using these brand terms in their advert copy. 

 “Unfortunately, regardless of the policies enforced by Google, shoppers looking for a bargain are still at risk of falling victim to unscrupulous retailers making use of dodgy websites. My advice would always be to buy with a credit card, rather than a debit card, as you will be more protected from fraud. If a bag usually cost £2000 and it's on sale for £50, chances are it's not genuine.”

Personally, I'm inclined to agree with Martin. As anyone who watched Hustle knows, you can't con an honest man - anyone who thinks they can pick up a £50 Gucci bag from an online store deserves to live with the consequences.