JEDDAH: An industry survey disclosed that the use of counterfeit contributes significantly to unemployment and diminished business revenues. In a research commissioned by HP showed Saturday that business owners need to be increasingly aware that their purchasing departments have to be particularly vigilant against the presence of counterfeit products; and that education and ongoing awareness campaigns are required to combat the prevalence of counterfeit goods. The survey further noticed that the majority of managers with purchasing responsibility for their offices have never bought counterfeit products. "The research findings highlight the fact that businesses are becoming more aware of the perils of purchasing counterfeit goods, which they recognize as having harmful consequences for society," said Laszlo Czinege, general manager, Imaging and Printing Group, HP Saudi Arabia. "It's encouraging to note that those who avoid counterfeit products do so knowing that the quality of fakes is often deficient and the best experience comes from original products. We will therefore continue to inform clients throughout the region about the negative consequences that counterfeits can entail." HP has been continuing its anti-counterfeit program in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The program promotes awareness about the escalating problem, and is joining hands with the Saudi Arabian government to further educate the business sector, resellers and consumers on how to identify and report counterfeit products. The research survey, which was undertaken across Algeria, Kenya, Morocco, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Ukraine and the UAE, highlighted the attitudes and behaviors associated with counterfeits. These countries are considered particularly vulnerable to counterfeit printing supplies. Focusing on Saudi Arabia, the majority of business owners surveyed said they wouldn't purchase counterfeit goods. However, a small percentage said that they had inadvertently purchased counterfeit products under the false impression they were genuine brand name original. The HP Anti-counterfeiting Program actively supports customers and business partners to avoid falling victim to counterfeiting. At the same time, HP also supports local law enforcement authorities to help dismantle illegal operations that manufacture counterfeit printing supplies for HP printers globally. HP helped authorities seize nearly 9 million pieces of fake printing supplies across EMEA over the last four years. On a global level, HP maintains an aggressive approach to anti-counterfeiting and has conducted nearly 5,000 investigations in almost 90 countries over the last 4 years. This activity has resulted in the seizure of more than 30 million units of counterfeit cartridges and components worldwide over this same time period. Investigations and actions have occurred on every continent except Antarctica, and any enforcement action is directly supported by either police (criminal) or an administrative organization. According to the Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP), the estimated market for counterfeit merchandise is $750 billion globally. The Imaging Consumables Coalition of Europe, Middle East and Africa (ICCE) noted that there's an 8 percent counterfeit rate in the nearly €30 billion market for printing consumables in Europe, the Middle East & Africa (EMEA).
