By Kevin Weaver – I just returned from the 16th International Imaging Supplies Coalition Conference for Fraud and Counterfeiting in the Imaging Supplies Industry and was encouraged to see how fellow colleagues and industry professionals are taking control of illegal activities to protect their brand.
In our industry, counterfeiting losses are estimated to be over $3 billion annually worldwide. As a company, we lose revenue, profit and brand loyalty; our channel partners lose because they have to compete with illegal products at low prices and/or are sourcing products thinking they are authentic when they’re really not, and the consumers lose because they don’t get what they pay for.
OEMs invest significant money in developing products and bringing them to market. To bump up brand protection efforts, further investments are made in packaging, labeling and tracking technology, such as UPC codes, serial numbers, and other security features.
All of these components serve specific purposes from quality control and management to security and anti-counterfeiting, throughout the supply chain.
