Vigilance against counterfeit goods in supply chains isn’t just good for brands’ reputations or profits: sometimes, a fake product can harm its users.
When the product being illegally copied is something that goes on or in a person (like cosmetics or pharmaceuticals), or is something with an inherent purpose of safety and security, consumers often blindly trust that what they purchased was made by the brand stamped on the product and packaging, and trust that the product was made with the proper materials and assembled in the proper fashion. Counterfeiters have no reason to follow best practices or keep the welfare of consumers in mind when they make their copies — all they care about is fooling people just long enough to make the sale.
This feature by US ICE provides a good summary of the problem of counterfeits, and has some chilling recent real-world examples of counterfeit products harming their users.
The best way brands can help ensure counterfeits of their products do not end up in the supply chain is to have a thorough and robust track-and-trace process and technology stack, and be able to open that process up to customs authorities to help them catch illegal copies of a brand’s products before they reach distribution centers, store shelves, or consumers’ doorsteps.
Among Global Automation & Identification Group’s members are solutions providers and systems integrators that are experts in securing supply chains. Browse our members, and contact us to learn more.