English Language Learners Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for speakers of other languages learning English. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this community
Few years ago I watched a documentary about fake/bootleg/counterfeit items that get imported to the UK. The officer showed an item which original but is not getting sold through the proper shops and explained that the factory in east that manufacture this item for the big brands like LV doubles the amount they are suppose to produce and sell half of it under the table so the item is original but (leaked) or smuggled.
I cant remember the word he used to call such items. Any ideas?
If you're looking for a noun, you could consider contraband.
goods or merchandise whose importation, exportation, or possession is forbidden
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contraband
The word bootleg that you used in your question is a good adjective as well.
The term might be gray market. The black market refers to the sale of goods that are stolen or fraudulent; gray market goods are legitimate but are not supposed to be sold on that market.
The official term for it is parallel imports, but I've never heard anyone actually call it that.
