Fake toner targeted

BANGKOK: -- Japanese electronics giants Sharp and Canon have initiated campaigns in Thailand to clamp down on the production and sale of fake photocopier toners bearing their respective trademarks.

The two firms warned consumers to be aware of low-quality counterfeit photocopier toner products with forged trademarks on packaging, designed to fool shoppers into believing they are buying genuine high-quality goods.

The counterfeiters have the capability to produce packaging that is almost identical to the original products, they said, as evidenced from the latest seizure in Bangkok’s Bang Khae district on June 29.

On that occasion, Bangkok-based law firm Tilleke and Gibbins joined forces with police to conduct a series of raids on counterfeiter operations. They confiscated fake photocopier toners worth almost a million baht.

Officials hope to make further arrests and prosecute wrongdoers at the supplier level in order to cut off the source of the counterfeit products and prevent the fakes from being distributed to retailers.

Police said the seizures of the fake products would stop the supply on the market of sub-standard goods that might damage genuine equipment made by the electronics manufacturers. They said the ringleaders of the operation would face a fine of up to Bt400,000 and/or four years in jail.

Sharp and Canon have since the start of the year undertaken extensive investigations to identify suppliers and retailers dealing in the fake photocopier toner products.

--The Nation 2005-07-19

I wondered why it wasnt a crackdown.. " Japanese electronics giants Sharp and Canon "

I wondered why it wasnt a crackdown.. " Japanese electronics giants Sharp and Canon " 

Perhaps initially it was a crackdown but they 'toned' the campaign down to a clampdown?

I guess now that there is a state of emergency and the news can be censored topics like this one will be about as serious as the reported new will be for a while.

Perhaps these type of companies ought to price it less like a rip off. In the UK I have a small portable Xerox machine costing about £200. A new toner cartridge costs me £100 and they even suggest I send them the empty so we can be environmently friendly.....