ETIRA Secretary General Vincent van Dijk
The association agreed a new Code of Conduct that includes member obligations on responsibility, quality and non-engagement in new-build cartridges.
The new Code of Conduct, first discussed during the association’s 10th anniversary celebrations last year, now features sections on social and environmental responsibility, promotion of quality products, clear warranties, compliance with laws and regulations both national and international, and consumer and worker health and safety.
The Code also features definitions of the main cartridge types as understood by ETIRA, with those pertaining to clones and counterfeits linked to the association’s Guide to Clones document. Perhaps the most significant addition to the Code of Conduct is a clear obligation on the part of members of ETIRA not to engage in “patent-infringing new-builds”, which the association clarified its opposition to in its Guide to Clones, which was revealed and made available at The Recycler’s Focus on Europe conference in June 2012.
The document notes that clones, as the new-builds are widely known, “represent a real threat for the future and the positive image of the industry”, and adds that “ETIRA members must take all necessary measures to respect intellectual property and trademark rights” when collecting and remanufacturing cartridges.
The newly-agreed Code will be officially presented at the Remanexpo Europe 2013 show in Frankfurt, which starts on Saturday 26 January. The previous code of good business practise had existed since 2002 and the association’s formation.
ETIRA’s Secretary General Vincent van Dijk commented: “ETIRA members have always been “best of class” in the industry. The new Code again confirms that well-known fact, and shows the world our members are steadfast committed to a fair, innovative, and eco-friendly business model.
“It also shows we are dead serious about patent-infringing new-build clones. As we clarify in our Guide to Clones, marketing these products will quickly kill your business. The recent tough legal actions by the OEMs in Spain have removed the illegal patent-infringing new-build inkjets from that market, and the importers/traders are now bankrupt. And this will soon happen in other EU countries too! ”