Canon and Lexmark partner to stamp out trademark infringement in Europe
Police seize 1600 counterfeit cartridges and arrest wholesaler in Greece
LONDON, February 2006 – ICCE members Canon and Lexmark claimed another victory against the counterfeiters, by raiding and seizing 1600 counterfeit cartridges with the help of the Police in Athens, Greece.
The stock of counterfeit cartridges was seized during a police raid and the wholesaler involved arrested for forgery and infringement of trademark law and unfair competition law. The wholesaler is now the subject of a criminal prosecution by the Athens authorities.
Canon and Lexmark have launched extensive proactive anti-counterfeit strategies, demonstrating their commitment to the protection of their brands against associated trademark infringements and most importantly the protection of consumer rights. Both companies continue to work with local police and customs officials to pursue and combat counterfeiting across EMEA. ICCE remains an integral part of the Canon and Lexmark partnership assisting through intelligence information, lobbying and information frameworks with Customs and other authorities.
Ken-ichi Nagasawa, Head of Intellectual Property, Canon Europe, said: “Canon takes counterfeiting very seriously and has established a proactive and hard-line strategy to address this issue in Europe. As one of the most recognised and trusted brands in the world we are committed to protecting our reputation to ensure our customers only ever receive the Canon brand experience they expect and deserve. Together with ICCE and Lexmark we will maintain a vigilant stance towards counterfeiting across Europe and will seek legal redress to protect our brand from counterfeiting, as in this instance in Greece
Eamon Ryan, Vice President and General Manager of Lexmark EMEA added: “Lexmark’s goal is to stamp out counterfeiting by taking proactive action against anyone found guilty of forgery or infringement of trademark law. The seizure of inkjet cartridges in Greece marks one success amongst many. In partnership with Canon and ICCE we will continue to address this issue on a wider, pan-European scale.”
ICCE and its members continue to pursue the counterfeiters and are working closely with the World Customs Organisation and the European Commission in order to stamp down on this illegal activity.
The channel should note that by purchasing consumables from unauthorised sources a company risks:
- having its reputation with customers damaged as counterfeits are likely lower quality
- having its counterfeit stock seized and destroyed without compensation
- being the subject of criminal and/or civil sanction (with the latter risking a custodial sentence)
- acquiring a criminal record and paying substantial damages to the manufacturer
ICCE has assisted its members in seizing over 1.5 million Euros worth of counterfeit products during 2005 in addition to OEM seizures. As a result there have been numerous criminal prosecutions and civil actions across Europe.
About ICCE -
Due to the proliferation of counterfeit printer supplies into the market, the ICCE was set up in September 1997 in order to highlight, and provide the industry with an effective solution to the problem. The industry has one voice, and through various initiatives, for example the ‘ICCE Partner Program’, ‘Multi-Brand Enforcement’, and ‘Validate!’, ICCE has assisted in the development of a reliable distribution channel, protecting the original equipment manufacturers, the supplies channel and more importantly the consumer.
If you require any further information please contact ICCE at :
Tel: +44 (0)208 408 5408
Fax: +44 (0)208 547 1569
Web: www.icce.net
e-mail: icce@icce.net