By Chinenye Anuforo
The Nigeria Police authorities with the support of HP’s Anti-Counterfeit and Fraud team have successfully halted three major counterfeiting operations trading illegal HP print cartridges in the Nigerian market.
The duo conducted three major raids on several large-scale counterfeiting premises in Nasarawa State and the Abuja area. The resulting seizures saw officials confiscate over 5,000 illicit items from various commercial sites, preventing their unlawful sale within Nigeria.
“Counterfeiting is an illegal activity that not only negatively impacts the business of resellers and distributors, but also affects the product experience for our customers. HP Original ink supplies have been developed to consistently deliver high quality results while ensuring minimal impact on the environment” said Emmanuel Asika, Country Head, HP Nigeria.
“We value our longstanding partnership with the Nigerian authorities and the exceptional success of our Anti-Counterfeiting and Fraud Programme in safeguarding our customers from the illegal sale of fraudulent HP products”
Counterfeiting is not only an illegal activity, but it also negatively impacts the businesses of both resellers and distributors. A recent study by the Organisation for European Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) shows that international trade in counterfeit and pirated goods represents up to 3.3% of world trade, or as much as $509 billion.
In the European Union (EU), counterfeit and pirated goods amount to up to 6.8 per cent of imports or as much as €121 billion. The report also notes that counterfeiting causes companies to lose revenue, leading to direct and indirect job losses, in addition to lost revenue for the government.
Although counterfeit cartridges may look like genuine HP cartridges, they do not provide the high print quality, reliability, and yields that customers have come to expect from original HP products. Instead, using counterfeit cartridges can entail significant risks. These risks can include cartridges which fail prematurely or do not work at all, and even damaged printers due to ink or toner leakages.