COUNTERFEIT TONER SUPPLIES: BIG PROBLEM !

[Anonymous]

COUNTERFEIT IMAGING SUPPLIES: A CONTINUING
PROBLEM

Counterfeit Imaging Supplies have been in the
marketplace for many years. About 10 or 20 years ago it was easy to distinguish
between genuine and counterfeit products. Counterfeit products were cheap
reproductions of the original with poor packaging and even worse product
quality. Today it is difficult or impossible for the consumer to recognize the
difference in packaging, and it isn’t until they use the product and it doesn’t
perform as they expect do they realize something is wrong.

Today’s supplies counterfeiters are well funded. The
capital investment in reverse engineering and manufacturing sophisticated
imaging supplies is an expensive venture.

The high growth of the industry coupled with the ease
of sales via the Internet and the low risk has attracted a whole new group of
criminals.

The Imaging Supplies Coalition (ISC), made up of
original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the imaging supplies industry,
estimates the revenue impact to the manufacturers at retail level is in excess
of $2 billion worldwide annually.

You, the resellers, as well as the OEMs are the
victims of these crimes because you must compete with them in the marketplace.
The products are of inferior quality and yield and often you, the dealers, are
left to clean up the mess and solve your customer’s quality problems. Even if
you unknowingly purchase and sell counterfeit products, you and your company
could be subject to both civil and criminal actions by the brand owners or law
enforcement. We’ve had good results in combating these problems in the United
States where the number of counterfeits has declined over the past two
years.

The Coalition and the OEMs educate customs and law
enforcement in various countries on how to spot counterfeit product. Last year
we hosted officials from seven Latin American countries at our annual
conference. We are beginning to see significant results of the investments OEMs
have made in product training and investigations. Last year 158,000 counterfeit
imaging supplies products valued at $10 million, representing nine brands, were
seized in three Latin American countries. The quick results came from raids
conducted by the governments of Paraguay, Peru, and Colombia in cooperation with
the OEMs and their investigators.

Perhaps our most successful program is the “When in
Doubt, Check it Out” program. This program, unique to the imaging supplies
industry, allows resellers to send product to the ISC for authentication. If the
product tests as genuine, you are informed, and that is the end of the process.
If, however, it tests as counterfeit, you must agree in advance to disclose your
source of the product. You and your company remain anonymous in the process.
Since it’s inception this program has removed millions of illegal products from
commerce. It has also led OEMs to the source of the products and has resulted in
criminal and civil prosecution in the United States, Europe, Latin America,
Canada,and Asia.

[Author]

February 13, 2005 at 11:04 AM