The HP anti-counterfeiting programme
With the HP anti-counterfeiting (ACF) programme, HP fights counterfeiters and perpetrators of product fraud in the printing supplies business. Actively defending the quality and reliability of HP printing supplies and the HP trademark in the market, the programme puts a special focus on HP business partners. Regular information and education on ongoing activities and developments help to recognise counterfeit products and product fraud, to report suspect products, and to competently answer questions of customers regarding this issue.
Information and support
On an ongoing basis, HP provides business partners with information about the ACF programme and latest developments on the market, offers new supporting material, and gives regular updates on HP’s ACF activities. Partners learn about product- and sales-related indicators of counterfeiting in the printing supplies business, thus enabling them to protect their businesses and customers from becoming victims of counterfeiters.
Successful programme set-up
The HP ACF programme owes a great part of its success to the HP business partners and end users who report suspect products to HP. Their leads are followed up by a network of anti-fraud consultants around the world who gather additional evidence to review and build a case. Once a case has been developed, HP decides on the best legal action to take. This can result in confiscation of products as part of a criminal or civil prosecution. The HP anti-counterfeiting programme was started in March 2002, and in the first year, HP already received more than 700 leads which resulted in over 250,000 counterfeit products seized in police raids or civil seizures. The number of leads, investigations and legal actions has been rising since.
