Leading printing & imaging solutions provider joins anti-counterfeit organization and participates in workshops after recent reports show 7% counterfeit share in USD 39.5 bn EMEA market in 2005
Brother Gulf, a global leader in the development and manufacturing of printing, communication and digital imaging products for homes, SOHOs and enterprises, has joined the Imaging Consumables Coalition of Europe (ICCE), an anti-counterfeit coalition in the imaging consumables industry. The goal of the coalition is to combat counterfeit imaging consumables flooding the EMEA market. Counterfeit imaging products have captured a 7 per cent share in the USD 39.5 billion EMEA imaging consumables market as indicated by Cap Ventures in 2005 and with ICCE as the lead organizer, Brother Gulf and five other coalition members are conducting the first counterfeit awareness workshops in the UAE.
The anti-counterfeit workshops are running from March 11-15, 2007 at several venues and being attended by local authorities from the police, free zones, ports and customs. Each department is devoted one day starting with the Dubai Police at the Dubai Police Academy. This is followed by Sharjah Customs at Millennium Hotel-Sharjah, Jebel Ali authorities comprised of Dubai Customs, DP World and Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority (JAFZA) at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel and Dubai Airport authorities consisting of Airport Customs and Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority (DAFZA) at Park Hyatt Hotel. During the workshops, Brother Gulf will give audio-visual presentations and show actual samples of counterfeit and original products and provide checking devices that will help authorities determine whether goods are original or imitations.
"Brother Gulf has growing concerns about the piracy of our imaging solutions and the damage it causes to our customers and to the credibility of our brand. As a global leader, we aim to generate customers for life and keep them satisfied with our products and maintain our image in a highly competitive market. Counterfeit products compromise on our stringent quality standards and at the same time cheat our consumers of our high-quality solutions," said Yoshihisa Tsuji, Managing Director, Brother Gulf. "The decision to join ICCE here in the Middle East is part of our global stance to combat counterfeit products as evidenced by the previous membership of Brother Europe in ICCE. Brother Gulf, together with the coalition's members, will combat piracy in line with ICCE's zero tolerance for counterfeit imaging solutions."
"Counterfeit products violate a manufacturer's intellectual property rights, and in the imaging solutions sector particularly, poses health risks for consumers. For instance, fake inks and toners which are not manufactured to standards can be toxic and dangerous. With the global counterfeit trade value estimated at USD 400 billion, the crime has very serious implications," said Jagdeep Gill, Director, ICCE. "The organisation and its members shall not cease in fighting counterfeit imaging solutions, and conducting workshops on counterfeit detection is one of the initiatives we are undertaking in cooperation with governments across the globe to attain our goal."
Founded in 1997, ICCE has since fought the production of counterfeit inkjet, fax/printer/copier toner cartridges and ribbons. It has lobbied in and collaborated with national governments and authorities to enhance the enforcement of anti-counterfeit laws and strengthen sanctions against counterfeiting. Aside from awareness workshops, ICCE implements the ICCE Partner Program, an accreditation trademark licensing scheme for distribution channels; the ICCE Intranet Site, dedicated to educating customs authorities to detain counterfeit goods at borders; and Validate!, a confidential service that allows consumers and channels to verify the authenticity of goods. At present, ICCE is composed of nine imaging consumables manufacturers including Brother.
"Brother is no stranger to the fight of fraud and anti-counterfeiting strategies. Sharing our expertise with local authorities through workshops will enhance their capacity and bolster their commitment to combat piracy here in the UAE, specifically, curtail the inflow of fake toners, drums, ink cartridges and film rolls," concluded Tsuji.
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About Brother Gulf:
Brother Gulf is a subsidiary of Brother Group, Japan, one of the global leaders in the development and manufacturing of technologies in the printing, communication and digital imaging industries for homes, SOHOs and enterprises. The company's Middle East headquarters, with fully integrated sales, marketing and services capabilities, is located at the Jebel Ali Free Zone in Dubai. Brother Gulf has authorized distributors across the region, including in the GCC countries, Levant region, Iran, the Indian subcontinent, and East, West and Central Africa.
The core products of the company are Laser printers, Facsimile machines and Multi-Function Centers. Brother's product range also includes Labelling machines, Electronic Typewriters, Laminators, Stamp Creators, Home and Industrial Sewing machines, Industrial Embroidery machines and Machine Tools.
For more information, please contact:
CommuniGate Middle East
PO Box 66861,
Dubai,
UAE
Tel: +971 4 3988134
Fax: +971 4 3988137
Email: info@communigateme.com
Website: www.communigateme.com
© Press Release 2007
