HP 200T - Manual (Page 6)

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.