COMBATING COUNTERFEIT IN E.M.E.A.

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Date: Monday May 3, 2010 11:19:19 am
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    http://www.itweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32678:combating-counterfeit-in-emea&catid=77&Itemid=62
    COMBATING COUNTERFEIT IN E.M.E.A.
    Counterfeit printing cartridges could make up as much as 50%
    of the market in some countries in the Europe, Middle East and Africa
    (EMEA) region, according to Bernhard Bette, HP supplies category manager
    for Europe, Middle East and Africa.Speaking during a presentation on
    HP’s printing supplies and technology in Istanbul, Turkey, yesterday,
    Bette explained that the average market share of toner and ink cartridge
    counterfeit goods is around 2%, but depends very much on the country,
    with EMEA being a high incidence area. “I wouldn’t be surprised if in
    individual countries in EMEA it was as high as 50%.”He explained that
    counterfeiting involves the manufacture, distribution and sale of
    illegal products that look identical or substantially indistinguishable
    from the original. HP began its anti-counterfeit programme in December
    2006, and has to date followed up almost 1 600 leads on suspicious
    products all over the EMEA region.

    In total, these leads –
    provided by HP customers, partners and staff – have resulted in almost
    900 investigations and around 600 enforcement actions, says the company,
    with around 6.5 million finished fake products and components intended
    for illegal re-use being seized. It adds that in 2009, seizures of
    counterfeit HP supplies in EMEA were more than two times the confiscated
    items in 2008.During the 2009 financial year and the first quarter of
    2010, HP reports 2.5 million seized finished counterfeits and components
    across EMEA. Saudi Arabia ranked particularly high in the number of
    fake goods seized, at 712 142, with the United Arab Emirates seeing 630
    756 products confiscated, and Turkey 108 712. In SA, 480 pieces were
    confiscated during this period.

    However, Bette noted these
    figures are simply a snapshot, showing the numbers of goods found during
    a certain period, and weren’t necessarily a reflection of the scale of
    the problem in individual countries.“The person who is most affected by
    counterfeiting is the customer, because they buy a product, perhaps at a
    lower price, expecting to get the quality of an original cartridge,”
    said Bette. “A counterfeiter looking to maximise profits is not going to
    put lots of effort into research and development, and delivering a good
    quality cartridge.”
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    He added that while
    counterfeit products also have a negative impact on the company, in
    terms of brand reputation, combating counterfeiting wasn’t about
    improving HP’s market share. “We have reduced counterfeiting in many
    countries without necessarily seeing an increase in market share. It’s
    not a market share enhancement programme, it’s a customer protection
    programme.”Partners which have signed up for the programme may undergo
    random inspections by HP to check for counterfeit goods. Bette stressed
    that HP works with authorities and police across EMEA, conducting
    investigations in collaboration with partners and customers. “This is
    not about the small counterfeiters around the corner; we’re talking
    about organised crime. We’re going after this, there’s no way around
    it.”

    HP advises customers to look out for official security
    labels that verify original HP products. According to the company, most
    print cartridges for HP inkjet cartridges carry an official security
    label, while all HP laser print cartridge boxes carry an HP security
    label featuring the words ‘original toner’.It also says to check the
    item comes in original packaging, that the print cartridge itself is
    unused with no damage or ink or toner leakage, and to buy cartridges
    through authorised sales channels.

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