This study was undertaken to explore the counterfeit phenomenon in China from the perceptive of those who are non-deceptive in their engagements in the counterfeiting industry. The counterfeit problem has always been a challenging issue for governments, brand owners and customers. As a worldwide problem, counterfeit issues are frequently discussed, but little is understood of the complexity of counterfeiters. Thereby, utilizing a qualitative method, with semi-structured interviews and secondary resource reviews, the perception of non-deceptive counterfeiters was gathered and analysed thematically to explore the story behind those counterfeiters.