The ICCE Partner Program has been established for the supplies distributor channel to highlight the problem of counterfeit consumables in the supply chain.

If you're unfamiliar with the Imaging Consumables Coalition of Europe (ICCE) and you are a part of the consumables distribution channel in Europe, then the following should be of great interest to you and your organisation.

ICCE is concerned with the effect that counterfeit consumables activity is having in the market; it inevitably has a direct effect on your own organisations' revenue and margin performance. We have been concerned about the growing problem of counterfeit consumables for some time now. As a result, the industry anti-counterfeit coalition, The Imaging Consumables Coalition of Europe, Middle East and Africa was set up in September of 1997, and estimates that 5%-10% of the consumables market is now represented by fake consumables.

ICCE has since been developing a number of initiatives to prevent fake consumables from entering the market place and has recently devised the ICCE Partner Program, which is designed to create a strong anti-counterfeit message in the market place and engage distributors and resellers in the fight against the counterfeiters.

The ICCE Partner Program

Our program will enable reputable distributors/resellers to align themselves with ICCE and its fight against counterfeit consumables.

How are we planning to do this?

Through the ICCE Partner Program, where eligible distributors and resellers will be provided with ICCE Partner Logo. The goal is to highlight the dangers of dealing with counterfeit consumables and to create a relationship of mutual assistance between ICCE and distributors/resellers.

Furthermore, all logo partners will receive confidential updates of companies who have been caught with counterfeit products and have been pursued legally.

The purpose and nature of the scheme

The ICCE logo scheme is a concerted attempt to bring together the distribution channel and original equipment manufacturers, in an attempt to prevent the supply of counterfeit product into the supplies channel.

ICCE provides a unique forum to begin this positive relationship. The ICCE scheme will be available to any part of the supplies distribution channel, that has not dealt with counterfeit product in the two years preceding the date of application

This new dialogue with the supplies channel provides the following synergies:

• ICCE provides the supplies distribution channel with a focal point for fraud reports and will instigate investigations where necessary
• The ICCE Partner Logo will enable easy identification of distributors who are committed to the goals of the ICCE
• The fee payable to join the logo scheme will all be spent on anti-counterfeit measures
• The alignment of distributors and channel partners with ICCE and its member manufacturers
• Added value to the dealers/distributors and end user channel

For the market, another step to establishing a 'clean' supply channel to the end user. To ensure that the credibility of the scheme is not diluted in any manner, all licensees will be monitored by the ICCE through covert and overt forms of detection.

As we all know the continuing proliferation of counterfeit product reduces revenues and exposes the consumer to low quality products. The ICCE Partner Program aims to minimise opportunities for the counterfeiters to continue to deal in illegal product.

Partners

Click on a logo for more information.