The OEM has launched an online authentication tool to identify counterfeit cartridges, and discussed its membership of a new anti-counterfeiting alliance.
Business Reporter reported on Brother’s latest discussions of its anti-counterfeiting strategy for printer cartridges, with the OEM relating that its membership in the Imaging Consumables Coalition of Europe, Middle East and Africa (ICCE), a “non-profit making association helping to increase detection and enforcement of ink and toner pirates”, will help to lessen the impact of cartridge counterfeiting in the regions.
The OEM has also launched a new online tool at www.brother.com/id, which will allow consumers and businesses worldwide to “check that toners and inks are genuine” through a verification process involving unique ID numbers and “holographic effects” on the packaging security label of each cartridge. Customers will also be able to download a “data matrix reader” for smartphones, which will scan the hologram “to confirm whether the cartridge is genuine”.
Daisuke Hirota, Brother’s Supplies Strategy Group Manager in Europe, commented: “The counterfeit supplies market is a problem that’s affecting consumers, official manufacturers and the wider sales channel. Many people are being duped into buying fake inks and other supplies. These often appear to be genuine branded goods and we’ve even recently discovered that some feature a replica warranty label.
“At Brother we have a commitment to providing high-quality products, which have undergone testing to ensure they deliver on performance and safety – so it’s [a] concern that customers could unwittingly be exposed to counterfeits. Possible issues include low-quality print, ink and toner leakage, and potential damage to the printer itself.
“We’re working as part of the ICCE to prevent counterfeit product from entering the supply chain. It’s also important for the sales channel to be vigilant in making sure its stock comes from a legitimate source.”
Lexmark previously noted that Europe was the most complex region for counterfeiting in 2012, and noted that the ICCE is “an industry association that is fighting back through education, publicity, lobbying, detection, enforcement and the development of anti-counterfeit technologies such as holograms”.