Fighting off the Fakes

It’s never happened before, so it has captured the attention of both sides—both the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) of toner and inkjet printers, and the aftermarket remanufacturers and suppliers of printer cartridge consumables.

For the first time in its 20 year history, the Imaging Supplies Coalition (ISC)—including HP, Canon, Epson, Samsung, Brother, Lexmark, Toshiba and Xerox—has invited the print consumables aftermarket to join the fight against the distribution of fake printer cartridges. Counterfeiting is a multi-million-dollar criminal activity that hurts consumers, traders, as well as the OEMs and the legitimate aftermarket.

Two fighting businessmen are opponents. Competition and confrontation. Vector illustration

OEMs and aftermarket leaders sat side by side in Las Vegas September 14 to 16 to better understand the global problem, and to look for solutions.

This year, the ISC celebrates its 20th anniversary since its awkward beginnings in 1994.  It was “awkward”, because each coalition member is a fierce competitor seeking to capture home, business, corporate and government business.  To add another competitor to the mix—the aftermarket—has not been ever considered before.  In his event opening remarks, the Director of Procurement at Brother, Matt Hahn, said “Being a competitor should not stop friendships and fighting the common enemy of counterfeit products.” He challenged all OEMs and the aftermarket to work together to fight this common enemy.

“The charter of the ISC is to create awareness of the illegal trade of counterfeit, or fake, printer cartridges trafficked around the world,” ISC’s CEO Allen Westerfield told Recycling Times Media.  “Put that together with the wrongful patent infringing activity and you have a good reason for the printer manufacturers to form a coalition to fight for their intellectual property rights.”

Issues facing distribution violations in Africa, e-commerce sites like Amazon, and shop fronts in Latin America were part of the agenda.

Two fighting businessmen are opponents. Competition and confrontation. Vector illustration

Another first was the invitation extended to Recycling Times Media to present at the conference.  “As far as I know, no aftermarket representative has had the honor or privilege to address the OEMs in this manner,” Director David Gibbons said. “I think the organizers and the participants may have been nervous at what I was going to say!”  Gibbons spoke about the changing views towards intellectual property in China, where he has been based for more than 3 years.

For more details on the issues of infringing and counterfeit products, go to www.irecyclingtimes.com.