(Copyright: Toner Printer Copier)
The OEM has been taking a vehement stance against EMEA supply issues, such as counterfeits and what the company terms ‘grey goods’ (parallel imports), revealing it has created a new Do Not Trade List of companies engaged in illegal activities.
HP began by explaining that the company “is currently detecting increased trade in counterfeit HP supplies, parallel imports (also referred to as grey goods) and other forms of illegitimate trade of HP supplies (e.g. VAT fraud or HP discounts abuses), particularly across EMEA.”
The OEM goes on to reiterate its commitment to protecting consumers and its desire to “provide a level playing field among its partners”.
As a result, says HP, from 1 February 2019, the company says it will be publishing a Do Not Trade List of companies “involved in the illegitimate trade of HP supplies” on its partner portal.
HP says it will require its partners not to sell products to the companies named on this list, adding that it will “impose contractual sanctions for non-compliance with the Do Not Trade List”, which will be labelled as HP Confidential – Subject to HP Partner Agreement Confidentiality Obligation, meaning it cannot be disclosed to third parties.
HP also released the following statement:
“HP is committed to protecting consumers and partners from the illegitimate trade of HP supplies and takes steps to identify such activity. Efforts include working in close cooperation with local authorities, offering free delivery inspections to customers, performing regular channel partner protection audits, attaching security labels that regionalize and serialize HP supplies. We now publish the HP Do Not Trade List of companies against whom HP has reasonable evidence that they are involved in a form of illegitimate trade of HP supplies. The aim of the Do Not Trade List is to help our partners source original HP supplies from trusted traders.”
HP’s vociferous campaign against IP infringement has been clearly demonstrated by its recent series of Cease and Desist letters sent to cartridge remanufacturers and resellers in Italy and Spain, which echoes similar actions in Germany last year.
