Fake Cartridge Operation Raided in Pakistan

According to Pakistan Today, authorities raided a business in Lahore, Pakistan and arrested one person on charges of counterfeiting.

HP worked with local police to capture 25 fake ink cartridges, 190 fake toner cartridges and 36,265 cartridge components. HP issued a statement saying it “vigorously defends its brand and intellectual property for Original HP supplies by engaging in industry-leading anti-counterfeiting practices to combat the fraudulent manufacture, distribution and sale of counterfeit HP supplies products.”

David Llamas, Global Brand Protection and Anti-Counterfeit Manager, Printing and Personal Systems for HP said, “Our commitment to our customers is the driving force behind the vigilance of our anti-counterfeit team.”

According to Allen Westerfield, President of the Imaging Supplies Coalition, the global loss to counterfeiting imaging consumables is between 3.5% and 5% of total revenue. That is equivalent to US$4 billion each year.  It not only affects the OEMs, but also the legitimate remanufacturing market.

Almost every week, there are news of raids on businesses involved in counterfeit printer cartridges somewhere in the world, as OEMs and local authorities clamp down on the problem. England’s Queen has supported new laws that would see those trading in counterfeits, jailed for 10 years, while on the other side of the Atlantic, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder says: “intellectual property crimes are not victimless. The theft of ideas and the sale of counterfeit goods threaten economic opportunities and financial stability, suppress innovation and destroy jobs.”

Allen Westerfield is so passionate about the problem of counterfeit printer cartridges, he will address delegates on the matter in a forum to be held in Zhuhai, China on October 16. [Ed: see www.irecycling times.com for more information].