AFRICA : HP AND LAW ENFORCEMENT ON THE HUNT FOR COUNTERFEIT

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AFRICA : HP AND LAW ENFORCEMENT ON THE HUNT FOR COUNTERFEIT SUPPLIES
Tanzania Africa : Hewlett Packard Company (HP) has launched toner cartridge authentication software to tame widespread counterfeits of its brands in the country, the company officials said in Dar es Salaam during the training of law enforcers, noting that the new technology will help clients confirm originality of the US based company’s toner cartridge bran."Comparatively, HP ink and print cartridges are more counterfeited and we want to enable our customers to identify counterfeit toner cartridges," said Tina Rose, Anti- Counterfeit Programme Manager, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).The company also announced the commencement of a series of training sessions, targeting government officials directly involved in anti counterfeit activities with the aim of enhancing the capacity to identify counterfeit goods.Ms Rose said the training sessions will be conducted in Kenya and Tanzania, drawing participants from institutions like the Fair Competition Commission, Tanzania Bureau of Standards and Public Procurement Regulatory Authority in Tanzania.

HP toner cartridge authentication is the free software applicable on select HP LaserJet printers and validates whether the installed cartridge is an original HP LaserJet toner cartridge or an alternative supply, such as a remanufactured, refilled, cloned or counterfeit cartridge.Once fitted in a printer, the software will inform the user when supply is not genuine and present additional information directing them to HP’s Anti-counterfeit website to report the potential counterfeit cartridge.The introduction of the new software and the training sessions constitute part of HP efforts to broaden anti counterfeit activities in the region."HP started its anti-counterfeiting programme in the region in December 2006 and we have since worked with Kenyan law enforcement authorities in interception and seizure missions," said Ken Mbwaya who is HP Managing Director for East Africa.

He said the company is expanding its anti counterfeit activities, one of the reasons that the firm has launched the training initiative to build capacity of government representatives whose role is critical in the fight against counterfeit.Since starting the campaign, HP has already seized the largest consignment of counterfeit printing supplies in Kenyan with support from law enforcers who intercepted the shipment from China at Mombasa port.

More than 141.000 counterfeit laser print cartridge boxes and fake security labels were seized, according to Mr Mbwaya."HP appreciates the strong cooperation of Kenyan law enforcers to help protect our customers from the inferior standards and potential risks of counterfeits," Adnane Besri, HP Laser & Enterprise Manager says in a statement."People who buy counterfeit cartridges and other fake merchandise mistakenly believe that they are getting genuine products, and they deserve the high quality and performance for which they’re paying."

Over the last four years, HP has assisted in the seizure of nearly nine million pieces of fake printing supplied products and components in Europe, the Middle East and Africa

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June 23, 2011 at 12:58 PM