Counterfeiting has been around for a long time. When a person is involved in counterfeiting, they are involved in the making of copies or imitations of items that look strikingly like the real thing. So much so, in fact, that they are often sold to unsuspecting people who think they are buying the real thing, and are paying the high prices that these items usually cost at retail. At times, however, these product imitations are shoddily made, and the items fall apart after wearing or using them just a few times. Counterfeiting is also a way to copy paper money, or currency, and pass it off as the real thing. Counterfeiting is a felony, and anyone who is caught participating in a counterfeiting ring, especially for currency, faces a stiff penalty. Minting money yourself can get a person 15 years in prison. If you circulated any of the money that you counterfeited, that will get you an additional 15 years in prison.