Raid in Turkey Reveals Counterfeiters Using the STMC logo

Raid in Turkey Reveals Counterfeiters Using the STMC logo

I-ITC’s Tricia Judge

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Counterfeit cartridges take more than $3 billion out of the pockets of OEMs and legitimate remanufacturers. The wide-open and poorly-policed Internet has only exacerbated this problem, as that market is rife with counterfeits and clones undercutting the price of legitimate cartridges.

(Photo: ISC Executive Director Allen Westerfield and Actionable Intelligence’s Charlie Brewer reveal counterfeit goods and packaging during a recent raid in Turkey. The illegal packagaing was sporting STMC logos.)
The Imaging Supplies Coalition (ISC) is comprised of OEMs that have come together for the sole purpose of fighting fraud and counterfeiting in imaging supplies.  The ISC reported that their work has resulted in hundreds of thousands of products worth millions of dollars have been removed from commerce.

In September, the ISC recently held their annual meeting, where OEM and aftermarket representatives meet to understand and tackle the problem.  Customs officials, industry analysts and others presented information on their industry issues, while there were intermittent presentations showing raids held on counterfeiters in various countries.

One depicted a raid in Turkey where the counterfeiters were using the STMC logo on their illegitimate products and boxes. There are no STMC cartridges. STMC (Standardized Test Methods Committee) is a committee that implements standardized test methods for cartridges, and certifies the companies that use them.  So aftermarket cartridges are also vulnerable.

In the past decade, the ISC often found remanufactured cartridges branded as counterfeit.  Now they are Chinese compatibles.  This saves the criminals money, as it obviates the need for remanufacturing supplies. Asian laws can’t keep up with the problem, and the penalties only make counterfeiting more attractive.