Counterfeit books are not the same as international books. Counterfeit books are illegally produced copies of textbooks. These textbooks will almost always cost less than other options, because the counterfeiter did not have to invest any money in gathering the intellectual property rights required to produce and distribute the book. They also use cheaper materials. Because of this, you will not be able to resell counterfeit books. Most online retailers, such as Amazon and Ebay, will disable your account if they see that you are selling counterfeit items. That being said, counterfeit books can still be found on these sites, because its difficult to take all of them off. Here’s a couple tips on how to spot counterfeit books.
Quality will usually be lower. This will include pages with non-colored pictures, off centered text and images, and thinner pages.
Sizing of the book will be different than the original. It will usually be smaller and more compact than the original.
Cleanliness of the textbook will be off. Expect to see glue on the binding or even general untidiness with the binding.