Samsung Electronics Southern Africa has begun testing the efficacy of an anti-counterfeit squad in Zambia. The squad consists of Samsung officials, police from the Intellectual Property Unit, partners and authorised dealers.
The squad will conduct random inspections at outlets that sell electronic goods to ensure that the Samsung products in stock are genuine. This is in a bid to prevent further financial losses, for both Samsung and consumers, as a result of counterfeit products emerging on the market.
The anti-counterfeit squad is mandated to arrest sellers of counterfeit products, and ensure that the manufacturers are traced and pinned down. Once proved successful, the initiative is expected to expand to other African countries such as the DRC, Mali and Tanzania.
To date, the squad has inspected several electronics shops and confiscated a large number of counterfeit products.
Last week, various counterfeit Samsung products, worth thousands of dollars, were seized from Kitwe's Mama Africa stores by the Intellectual Property Unit of the Zambian police force.
Samsung Southern Africa MD Maengdal Bae says the company is testing the anti-counterfeit squad in Zambia, because the Zambian government has shown commitment to curbing the sale of fake products on the market.
Despite the existence of anti-counterfeiting regulations in Zambia, little has previously been done on the ground to stop counterfeit products from finding their way into the market.
In June last year, Samsung officially complained to the Zambian government, following an increase in Samsung counterfeit products, on the local market.
Samsung is hoping that developing a counterfeit product control system, by partnering with reliable law enforcement agencies, would curtail the trend.
“Counterfeit products are impacting negatively on the Zambian government's revenue as it is losing out on tax revenue,” said Samsung manager for Zambia Chabala Kaunda.
Copperbelt minister Mwansa Mbulakulima says the Zambian government should come on board to fight counterfeit products by making sure that it buys office equipment only from licensed traders.
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