Imaging Consumables Coalition Europe (ICCE) members reported on recent anti-counterfeiting successes which include several major strikes against fake imaging consumables in the Middle East.
ICCE said in its report that its members build strong relationships with local law enforcement agencies with the goal of enabling effective raids and enforcement actions. These actions remove counterfeit products before they can be sold and put unsuspecting customers at risk.
Just recently, large quantities of illegal products, such as counterfeit toner cartridges, ink cartridges, and printer ribbons, have been confiscated from markets in the Middle East, with notable actions in Turkey and the UAE, among others.
Cooperating closely with ICCE members, Turkish authorities took action against a large-scale producer dealing with counterfeit imaging consumables in the Istanbul area in January 2022. In a vast enforcement action, tens of thousands of illicit items were seized at a warehouse that served as a clandestine site for assembling and trading in fake imaging consumables. This included ready-for-sale cartridges as well as components for assembling further fakes, such as packaging material. The seized items infringed the intellectual property of several ICCE members.
In another raid in Turkey in March 2022, a further cache of counterfeits was seized, protecting local customers as well as intellectual property. The illicit items, including more than 800 fake ink bottles and cartridges, were illegally bearing brands belonging to several ICCE members.
Bodo Bredahl, Anti-Counterfeit Manager EMEAR, Epson said: “Working together, ICCE members take resolute action to tackle counterfeiting. This sends out a strong message to the market – we are actively trying to protect and safeguard our valued customers and honest business partners from counterfeit products. These counterfeit products are often harmful, both to hardware and the environment, and ultimately cheat consumers of the quality they are entitled to expect from branded consumables.”
ICCE explained that current insights indicate that Turkey is a hub for counterfeiting activities: As the British newspaper The Guardian reports, production of fakes in the country is booming and exports of counterfeits into the EU have tripled between 2019 and 2020.
Based on intelligence provided by an ICCE member, Emirati law enforcement authorities foiled a vast operation manufacturing and distributing counterfeit imaging consumables. In late 2021, officials successfully raided a number of residential properties used as counterfeiting sites in the Emirate of Umm Al Quwain. There, they seized more than one million illicit items – an astounding amount to take out of the market.
Targeting local retailers and brick-and-mortar stores that sell counterfeit imaging consumables, an ICCE member also launched a dedicated initiative in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE in the second half of 2021 and early 2022. As part of this, more than 50 trading companies received targeted cease-and-desist letters.
Dedicated follow-up activities confirmed that most of the stores receiving the letters refrained from selling counterfeits again, proving the initiative to be effective.
Glenn Jones, Director Of HP’s Global Anti-Counterfeiting Programme said: “Such initiatives help us to further push back trade in counterfeits – and it perfectly complements the strong cooperation with law enforcement of ICCE members. We will continue to take action against fraud, to protect local customers and businesses.”
