TMCnet News

HP Anti- Counterfeiting Africa Conference impacts on corporate world [Ghana News Agency]
[April 18, 2014]

HP Anti- Counterfeiting Africa Conference impacts on corporate world [Ghana News Agency]


(Ghana News Agency Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Accra, April 17, GNA - The zeal by Hewlett-Packard Company (HP), a US based multinational information technology corporation, to fight the nightmarish problem of the global counterfeiting of its products, is being sustained by constant education of the corporate world.



Almost on daily basis HP keeps on updating organisations across the globe on the negative effects of counterfeiting of its products through a number of Anti-Counterfeiting Africa Conference, with the latest being hosted in South Africa in April.

The flooding of counterfeit products in the African continent continues to be a major threat to industries, hence the Johannesburg conference to increase awareness on the impact and consequences of the trade.


The two-day summit attracted government officials, law-enforcers and representatives of ministries responsible for anti-counterfeiting, who discussed consumer protection and raised awareness against illegitimate goods.

It was also attended by people who are most affected by counterfeits in the region from policy makers to brands like Unilever and Nike to work towards tackling the criminal challenge.

'The HP Anti-counterfeiting Programme works hard to protect partners and customers, but this is only made possible through close collaboration with law enforcers around the world. We therefore truly appreciate the cooperation of African law enforcement to helping to make this event possible, and protect African customers from the inferior standards and potential risks of counterfeit', Fabrice Campoy, Printing and Personal Systems Africa Director, said.

Over the last five years, HP had conducted around 1,600 investigations, resulting in about 1,300 enforcement actions and around 11 million units of counterfeit products and components seized, thus preventing them from being sold in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) marketplace and beyond.

According to HP as the global trade in counterfeit goods is growing, Africa is increasingly being targeted as a market for counterfeit merchandise.

The emergence of a new trend that Africa is being used as a transit route for fake goods, which also poses an indirect threat to European and American markets, has depicted a growth in the global trade in counterfeit goods.

The company had also conducted 4,000 unannounced inspections of HP products at the warehouses of HP Channel Partners across EMEA in the past five years, to verify that they are not selling counterfeit products to customers.

Mr Jeff Kwasny, Brand Protection Programme Manager for HPs Printing and Personal Systems Group said:' False goods impact businesses and global trade through lost revenue, damage to brands and the negative effects on hard-earned reputation and consumer confidence.' HP study found out that 10 per cent of world trade is made up of counterfeit, pirate and grey-market products.

The study indicated that printing and imaging technologies industry suffers a $ 3 billion ( 2.1 billion) global loss annually due to counterfeiting; with the global economic and social impact of counterfeiting and piracy estimated at $ 775 billion ( 559 billion) and expected to rise to $ 1.7 trillion ( 1.2 trillion) by next year.

Customers risk using products that are harmful to their health, while businesses face lawsuits, loss of revenue and brand erosion.

The HP Global Product Authentication Service offers organisations a secure and scalable way to help companies crack down on counterfeiting for products as diverse as medications, cosmetics, auto parts, toys, electronic components and tickets to popular musical, sporting, or entertainment events.

The technology also allows customers to use their smartphone to scan a products QR code or send the code via a text message, to determine whether the product they wish to purchase is real or fake. Results come back immediately. This helps protect customers from potential physical harm or spending money on an inauthentic products.

Authentic HP LaserJet and HP inkjet print cartridges, unlike counterfeits, benefit from a history of investment and testing to provide superior performance and consistent results.

The distribution of cheap and poor quality pirated goods in a market creates an obstruction to the distribution of genuine products.

Crime syndicates thrive on the trade to keep their illicit activities going. With the African market in fake goods expanding, one can expect criminal syndicates strengthening their foothold across the continent. This means that governments will have to invest more in law enforcement.

GNA // (c) 2014 Ghana News Agency (GNA) Provided by Syndigate.info, an Albawaba.com company

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]