Micro-Optic Labels Takes Centre Stage in HP’s Anti-Counterfeit Programme

Those of us who still believe overt security features validated with the naked eye should be the first ‘port of call’ for checking the authenticity of something, will be heartened by the HP Anti-Counterfeiting and Fraud (ACF) programme.

The ACF seeks to create awareness of the scale and severity of the fraudulent printing supplies market, through the use of communication tools that place micro-optic labels at centre stage.

Between November 2020 and October 2021, HP reportedly confiscated 646,000 counterfeit print products across Europe, Middle East and Africa, an additional 400,000 across the Americas, and a further 2.5 million across the Asia Pacific region, with some confiscations including large numbers of ink and toner cartridges.

‘Counterfeiters are increasingly turning to the online space to sell their fraudulent wares,’ said Guillaume Gerardin, Global Head and General Manager of Print Supplies at HP. ‘As a result, it’s becoming more difficult for customers to identify counterfeit cartridges at the point of purchase.’ As part of the ACF programme, HP has therefore created simple, visually dynamic, step-by-step guides, in website and downloadable PDF form, for consumers and other stakeholders to refer to when differentiating genuine HP cartridges from counterfeits. And the first step in the validation process is to check that the HP security label on the cartridge packaging is exhibiting the correct optically variable features.