The Imaging Supplies Coalition ("ISC") is continually seeking new ways and new partners with which to combat fraud and counterfeiting in the imaging supplies industry.
One of the problems for the print industry, which it is estimated loses up to $5bn a year due to counterfeit products, is that the customer can often not distinguish between a legitimate and fake product.
ISC's product authentication program, WIDCIO (When In Doubt, Check It Out) is one of the longest tenured and robust anti- counterfeiting programs currently available. ISC is now expanding the program to enable authentication of products protected by US ITC Exclusion Orders.
For 16 years this unique program allows dealers, distributors and customers an opportunity to submit questionable imaging supplies such as ribbons, inkjet cartridges, laser cartridges, toners, developers to the ISC for authentication. Since the program launch, hundreds of thousands of counterfeit imaging supplies valued in the millions of dollars have been removed from commerce and over 10% of all products submitted to the ISC have proven to be counterfeit.
The ISC will now authenticate the following suspicious products:
1. Product thought to be counterfeit, that is presented as a new OEM branded product.
2. New "compatible" "clone" products which you think are in violation of a limited or general exclusion order. This requires submission of the physical product.
3. Product presented as empty OEM cores which are suspected to actually be new non-OEM cores. This requires submission of the physical product.
There are three ways to submit product(s) for authentication: physical product, photos, and written allegations. In each method your identity as a program participant will remain confidential and will not be revealed to the OEM.
Please visit the ISC website for additional details.
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